Arizona DOT schedules five major freeway closures for Halloween weekend
Drivers in the Phoenix metro area face multiple overnight roadblocks starting Friday, October 30, as state agencies push forward on pavement repairs and bridge construction.
By Samuel Hayes ·
The Arizona Department of Transportation has scheduled a series of freeway closures and ramp restrictions across the Valley beginning Friday evening, October 30. These work windows overlap with the Halloween holiday weekend, creating a compressed timeline for drivers who must navigate reduced capacity on major arterial routes.
The most extensive closure affects southbound State Route 51. That lane will shut down between Cactus Road and Northern Avenue from 9 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday, November 2. During this period, southbound on-ramps between Bell Road and 26th Street will also be inaccessible. The department advises motorists to use southbound 7th Street as a detour to rejoin the highway.
Eastbound Loop 202 will close between McQueen and Cooper roads from 10 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday. On-ramps from Dobson Road to Arizona Avenue will be out of service. Traffic officials suggest using eastbound Pecos or Germann roads to reconnect with the Loop at Cooper or Gilbert roads.
Westbound Loop 101 faces a shorter but earlier closure. The road between Interstate 17 and 51st Avenue will shut down from 8 p.m. Friday until noon Sunday. Northbound and southbound I-17 ramps leading to westbound Loop 101 will be closed, along with westbound on-ramps between 7th Street and 7th Avenue. Drivers can access the Loop via westbound Deer Valley Road or Union Hills Drive at 51st or 59th avenues.
Construction on the Loop 303 bridge requires an eastbound closure between 43rd Avenue and Interstate 17 from 10 p.m. Friday until 5 p.m. Saturday. The recommended detour is northbound 43rd Avenue to eastbound Dove Valley Road, connecting to southbound I-17.
A final restriction applies to the westbound Interstate 10 frontage road, which will close between 91st and 99th avenues from Friday night until 5 a.m. Monday. Westbound McDowell Road is the designated alternative route.
The Arizona DOT noted that schedules may shift due to inclement weather or other operational factors.
Source: KTVK
