TRAFFIC

New lanes are coming to I-17 north of Phoenix, but not anytime soon

Ryan Randazzo
The Republic | azcentral.com
The Arizona Department of Transportation has installed "wrong way" signs on Interstate 17, the latest in a series of efforts aimed at tamping down the issue of errant motorists on Valley freeways.

The Memorial Day weekend kick-off to summer road-trip season brings with it one of Arizona's most odious vacation traditions: being parked in traffic on Interstate 17 north of Phoenix.

The good news? The Arizona Department of Transportation is planning two new "flex" lanes to ease congestion that will carry people north Fridays and Saturdays, and south on Sundays. 

The bad news? Construction won't start until 2021 and will take about two years to complete.

The new lanes will run between Black Canyon City and the Sunset Point rest stop, a steep, curvy section of road where drivers often find trouble.

"The biggest hassle is having people sit on that hill," said Steve Boschen, director of ADOT's infrastructure delivery and operations division. "When it is 110 degrees out, we want to get them relief as fast as we can."

Delays lasting several hours are a weekend tradition like campfire s'mores and hiking in the high-country pines. Crashes, even minor, clog the roadway as people head north to campsites and cabins on Fridays and Saturdays, and as they head home on Sundays.

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Thousands of travelers even got an early start to the gridlock last Sunday when a brush fire closed one lane in each direction near New River. Cars heading toward Phoenix backed up for 20 miles through Black Canyon City, and delays persisted for hours.

The drive between Phoenix and Flagstaff is usually about two hours, but accidents can extend that to four or more.

For now, travelers can either plan to leave at off-peak times or prepare to sit it out, Boschen said.

"Go early Friday, or after the peak at 8 p.m.," he said. "On Sunday, leave early in the morning. Don't leave at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Or make plans so you can come back Monday (or Tuesday on a holiday weekend)."

Even if travelers plan their trips to miss the heaviest traffic on I-17, they may spend more time on the road than hoped. 

ADOT began in April a $24.4 million project to repave about 28 miles of northbound I-17 south of Flagstaff. That project is expected to add to travel times getting to Flagstaff from Phoenix through the summer.

Biggest trouble spot: South of Cordes Junction

The main challenge on I-17 is an approximately 45 mile stretch between the community of Anthem and Cordes Junction, he said.

About 40,000 cars travel both directions on that stretch of road daily, and on weekends that number hits 55,000 to 60,000, he said. Holiday weekends bring even more drivers.

"We see about a 50 percent daily spike in traffic on the weekend, and also about a 50 percent spike in crashes, unfortunately, on the weekend," Boschen said.

Once drivers are in that stretch, if they get caught behind an accident that closes the road or restricts traffic, there are no alternative routes to get around and few places to even turn around and head the other direction.

Most problematic crashes are usually on the southbound lanes between Black Canyon City and Anthem, Boschen said.

"They've gone down the hill, they feel the need to speed more," he said. "There are a lot more on the southbound side than the northbound in that area."

A few months ago, ADOT opened a new paved crossover to at least allow drivers stuck in hot cars behind an accident to turn around south of Black Canyon City. ADOT is looking to add more of those.

When traffic backs up, ADOT recommends drivers either go through Payson or Wickenburg and Prescott if they are traveling between the Phoenix area and other points north. Both are hours longer than I-17.

"Its no fun to have to recommend those things," Boschen said.

Flex lanes are the best option

Starting in 2021, ADOT will launch two construction projects to address the problem. The larger is the flex lanes, which will run about 10 miles from Black Canyon City to the Sunset Point rest area.

The two lanes will be next to the southbound I-17 lanes, but separated by a concrete barrier. They will be blocked off to allow traffic in one direction or the other depending on the need.

Crews in May 2018 set the girders for the interchange at 24th Street in Ahwatukee for the. Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway,

ADOT also will add a third lane southbound from Black Canyon City to Anthem. Eventually, a northbound third lane in that area will also be added, officials said.

The total cost is about $180 million, with $120 million coming from federal funds, $50 million from the Maricopa Association of Governments, and $10 million from the state, he said.

The project won't begin for more than two years, he said.

"We have other programming needs statewide," Boschen said.

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ADOT is working on the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway project this summer and some projects in the Sierra Vista area, among others.

The I-17 work will take about two years to complete once work begins.

"Compared to some of our other projects, most can be completed in a year to 15 months," he said. "This is in difficult topography."

Other options were considered, including paving a rough dirt road from Mayer to Bumblebee to give the I-17 a relief route during backups. But that road is too rough and curvy to handle big trucks.

"The topography doesn’t lend itself well to too many other options," he said. "There really was no other dirt road to pave acceptable to most cars, let alone a semi."

Be prepared for delays

Officials emphasize that drivers should be ready for long waits at any time, but especially during the hot summer months.

They recommend packing extra drinking water, snacks, a fully charged cell phone, flashlight, tool kit and extra diapers if you're traveling with an infant.

They also recommend staying with the vehicle even in long closures in case traffic starts moving unexpectedly.

It also pays to check traffic conditions before leaving. If there's a backup or delay, drivers can take an alternate route or wait it out at home or up north rather than in the car.

Arizona Department of Public Safety and Department of Transportation post updates on Twitter, and az511.com/traffic keeps tabs on traffic impacts. Travelers also can call 511 for road conditions. 

And importantly, officials recommend driving carefully.

"Collisions can happen at any time and in any place," DPS spokesman Quentin Mehr said. "Most collisions are caused by driver behavior. Driving distracted, whether by cell phone or otherwise, driving fatigued, speeding, following too close, not using a turn signal, or driving while impaired (to name a few) all can contribute to a collision, whether minor or major."

He also said drivers should report reckless drivers to 911 so troopers can respond to help.

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