PHOENIX – Drivers traveling on Interstate 17 north of Phoenix  have an extra lane in each direction along a 15-mile stretch between Anthem Way and Black Canyon City. 

The  lanes are part of the I-17 Improvement Project, which is also building eight miles of flex lanes between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point. In addition to the new lanes, the project is reconstructing 10 bridges and replacing two other bridges throughout the 23-mile corridor to accommodate the wider highway and additional lanes. 

“I-17 is considered a Key Commerce Corridor that is crucial to Arizona’s travel, tourism and economic development opportunities,” state transportation officials said in a release.

While the new lanes are open between Anthem Way and Black Canyon City, work continues on the two flex lanes, which run next to the existing southbound lanes between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point. The flex lanes are expected to open later in 2025. 

The new lanes were constructed using more than 1.7 million cubic yards of earth material and rock that were removed from the mountainsides through controlled rock blasting and excavation work since construction began in September 2022, officials said.

“A large portion of the material removed during earthwork and blasting was crushed on-site and used as aggregate base, embankment and rock mulch, eliminating the need to outsource material and cutting down on construction costs,” the Arizona Department of Transportation release stated.

For more: improvingi17.com.