Pavement work will reduce southbound Interstate 17 to one lane this weekend from State Route 74 to Dixileta Drive, state transportation officials announced Wednesday.

The lane restrictions are scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Friday and end by 5 a.m. Monday. Drivers should plan for delays, especially from afternoon into early evening on Saturday and Sunday, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The work is part of a project to improve the ride on six miles of I-17 between Happy Valley Road and SR 74.

There is no detour, and ADOT officials encourage drivers to pack their patience, use caution and be prepared to slow down and merge safely.

“Staying on this route regardless of what a navigation app may suggest is the best way for drivers to reduce delays and avoid bringing unnecessary extra traffic in and around neighborhoods,” they stated in a release.

Weekend details:

• Southbound I-17 will be restricted to one lane from State Route 74/Carefree Highway to Dixileta Drive from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday.
• The Loop 303 ramp to southbound I-17 will be closed from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday.
• The SR 74/Carefree Highway ramp to southbound I-17 will be closed nightly 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday. NOTE: The cloverleaf ramp to southbound I-17 will remain open. 

July 18 nightly details:

• Southbound I-17 will be restricted to one lane between SR 74/Carefree Highway and Loop 303/Sonoran Desert Drive from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. 
• The southbound I-17 on-ramp at SR 74/Carefree Highway also will be closed. NOTE: The cloverleaf ramp to southbound I-17 will remain open. 

For more: azdot.gov/i-17HappyValleySR74.

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