Bold warning: Expect weekend traffic chaos as a massive ADOT project reshapes I-17 in North Phoenix.
Drivers in the northern Valley should brace for delays this weekend, as crews launch a $129 million effort to improve connections between Loop 303 and Interstate 17. ADOT says crews will be laying foundations for bridge and ramp structures at the I-17/Loop 303 interchange, which will temporarily reduce I-17 to two or three lanes in both directions between Dixileta Drive and Dove Valley Road from 2 a.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday.
Ramp restrictions are also in effect:
- Southbound I-17 on-ramp at Dove Valley Road and southbound off-ramp at Loop 303/Sonoran Desert Drive will be closed from 2 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
- Northbound I-17 off-ramp at Loop 303/Sonoran Desert Drive will be closed from 1 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday.
Detours will be in place, with some routes routed via Dove Valley and 43rd Avenue.
ADOT notes this Loop 303 project marks the first Valley freeway project funded under the 2024 renewal of Prop 479, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax dedicated to transportation improvements.
What’s coming when the work wraps up: a third lane on Loop 303 between Lake Pleasant Parkway and I-17, plus new bridges to better handle traffic at the 67th Avenue interchange. Additional upgrades include widening the Sonoran Desert Drive exit ramp, upgraded lighting and signage, and improved drainage systems.
Officials anticipate completion in the second half of 2028. For more details, visit ADOT’s Loop 303/Lake Pleasant Parkway to I-17 improvements page.
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