PHOENIX – Improvement projects will require closures or lane restrictions along sections of Valley freeways this weekend, including Interstate 10, 17, Loop 101 and State Route 51.

State transportation officials advise drivers to allow extra travel time and consider alternate routes from Friday night, Oct. 25, until Monday morning, Oct. 28. Here is what to expect:

• Eastbound I-10 will be closed between the SR 51 “Mini-Stack” interchange and US 60 from 10 p.m. Friday to Monday for work on the Broadway Curve improvement project. All eastbound I-10 on-ramps between Third Street (downtown area) and US 60 will be closed. Southbound I-17 on-ramps at Seventh Avenue and Seventh Street will be closed (some ramp closures start at 8 p.m. Friday). Detours: From I-10 near downtown Phoenix, consider using eastbound Loop 202 to southbound Loop 101 and westbound US 60 or westbound Loop 202 to reach I-10 beyond the closure. I-10 drivers in the West Valley can consider detouring on southbound/eastbound Loop 202, ADOT officials said. Note: The westbound I-10 ramp to northbound SR 143 will be closed this weekend. Also, northbound 48th Street/SR 143 will be closed between Broadway Road and University Drive, and southbound 40th Street will be closed between I-10 and Broadway Road from 8 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Monday.

• Westbound Loop 101 will be closed between 19th and 51st avenues from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday for a widening project.

Westbound Loop 101 ramps to I-17 will be open, and officials said to expect heavy traffic and delays. I-17 ramps to westbound Loop 101 will be closed. Westbound Loop 101 on-ramps at Seventh Street and Seventh Avenue will be closed. Detours: Consider exiting ahead of the closure and using westbound Union Hills Drive or Bell Road. Freeway traffic exiting at 19th Avenue will use the frontage road.
 

• Southbound Loop 101 will be closed between Pima Road/Princess Drive and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday for bridge work.

Traffic will detour along the southbound Loop 101 frontage road.

• Southbound State Route 51 will be closed between Loop 101 and the I-10/Loop 202 “Mini-Stack” interchange from 9 p.m. Friday to 9 p.m. Saturday for pavement sealing. 

Note: Crews will reopen southbound SR 51 in sections while the work progresses on Saturday. Detour: Consider alternate routes including southbound Cave Creek Road to southbound Seventh Street.

• Southbound I-17 will be closed between Peoria Avenue and Indian School Road from 9 p.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday for pavement sealing.

 Note: Crews will reopen southbound I-17 in sections while the work progresses on Sunday. Detour: Consider exiting ahead of the closure and using southbound 19th or 35th avenues.

• Southbound I-17 will be narrowed to one lane during mostly overnight hours between State Route 74/Carefree Highway and Loop 303 from 9 p.m. Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday, from 9 p.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday and from 9 p.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday for pavement improvements. 

The southbound I-17 on-ramp at Dove Valley Road and off-ramp at Loop 303 will be closed at times. Detour: Allow extra travel time and avoid using neighborhood streets east of I-17 that are not designed for freeway traffic. Note: Northbound I-17 will be narrowed to one lane overnight in areas between Loop 303 and SR 74/Carefree Highway Road from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights pavement improvements. ADOT officials advise drivers to allow extra travel time.

• Westbound Loop 202 will be narrowed to one lane overnight between Priest Drive and 40th Street from 9 p.m. Sunday to 4 a.m. Monday for maintenance.

ADOT officials advise drivers to slow down and use caution in all work zones.

• Grand Avenue will be narrowed to one lane in both directions in areas between R.H. Johnson Boulevard and Deer Valley Road (near Loop 303) from 8 p.m. Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday, from 8 p.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday and from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights for construction.

 Drivers can expect turn restrictions at the Loop 303 off-ramp connections to Grand Avenue, according to ADOT, which advises motorists to use caution and be prepared to slow down and merge safely when approaching and traveling through work zones.

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.