In addition to two scheduled closures and restrictions for freeway improvement projects in the Phoenix area this weekend, March 6-9, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) provided an update to the planned SR 51 pavement improvement project, set to get underway next weekend.
Closures this weekend include:
- Eastbound Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) closed at Val Vista Drive in Gilbert from 6 p.m. Saturday to 8 p.m. Sunday (March 8).
- 75th Avenue closed in both directions near Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) in the Northwest Valley from 10 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Sunday (March 8). Both Loop 101 off-ramps at 75th Avenue closed.
Click on the Weekend Travel Advisory map graphic or visit the ADOT website for additional information.
SR 51 pavement improvement project set to begin March 13
A project to improve the pavement surface along State Route 51 between the Interstate 10 “Mini-Stack” interchange and Shea Boulevard in Phoenix is scheduled to start the weekend of March 13-16, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. Construction is expected to take approximately six months to complete. This schedule is subject to change due to weather and other unforeseen factors.
This work will start with a series of weekend closures along SR 51 so crews can remove the top layer of older, worn asphalt pavement along the nearly 10-mile stretch. They also will use the concrete pavement treatment known as diamond grinding to provide a smoother ride. The process adds small grooves to the pavement to help limit tire noise.
Southbound SR 51 is scheduled to be closed between Cactus Road and Northern Avenue from 9 p.m. Friday, March 13, to 5 a.m. Monday, March 16, for asphalt pavement removal. Drivers should plan to use alternate routes including southbound Interstate 17. Traffic exiting southbound SR 51 at Cactus Road will be detoured west to southbound Seventh Street and eastbound Northern Avenue.
The $17.8 million SR 51 pavement improvement project is scheduled for completion this fall. In addition to weekend closures, the work will require weeknight lane and ramp restrictions or closures.
The SR 51 pavement improvement project is scheduled under the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan and is funded through voter-approved Proposition 479. Funding sources include a half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements in the Phoenix region.
