ARIZONA, USA — The quest to widen and improve Interstate 17 north of Phoenix has taken a big step forward, as the Arizona Department of Transportation has signed contracts with a company that will design, build and operate the project.
The I-17 Improvement Project, a $445,940,000 project to widen and improve traffic flow from Anthem Way to Sunset Point, is now underway. Contracts between ADOT and Kiewit-Fann Joint Venture, a development team, have been signed and pre-construction will begin soon. An ADOT spokesperson said the project will not get fully underway until sometime in 2022, depending on how the project develops in pre-construction.
“This is 23 miles of improvements along the I-17 corridor; a very heavily traveled corridor, starting at Anthem Way all the way to Sunset Point,” said Laura Douglas, a spokesperson with ADOT assigned to the I-17 Improvement Project.
The project is expected to take three years to complete, with a bulk of the construction happening in the overnight hours Monday through Friday. The goal is to keep traffic flowing as smoothly as possible during the area’s peak usage during the weekends.
A new design that Arizonans may not be used to is the project’s new flex lanes. These are two lanes that can be used by either northbound or southbound traffic, depending on the need at the time.
“The beauty of the flex lanes is that we can move traffic according to the greatest need,” Douglas said. “So, perhaps on a Friday or a Saturday, when people are moving out of the Valley from the Metro Phoenix area and up to the north country, we can shift that traffic to move north and then accordingly, when traffic is at its heaviest on a Sunday afternoon, we can shift those lanes to move people south.”
Existing traffic lanes between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point will be used as the new flex lanes. Physical barriers will be used to open or close the lane as the need warrants.
The 15-miles stretch of I-17 from Anthem Way to Black Canyon City will be widened by one lane in each direction, as part of the project. An estimated one million travelers commute along that stretch of I-17, ADOT said, mostly on weekends.
In February, Gov. Doug Ducey approved $90 Million to be spent on the project, coming from the state’s general fund, Federal COVID-relief funds, and grants.
According to ADOT, additional funding for the project includes:
- $130 million of state highway funds appropriated by the state legislature in 2019
- $90 million from an Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant
- $50 million by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) for the Maricopa County portion of this project
- $135.9 million from federal aid with matching state highway funds. This includes $83.6 million approved by the Arizona State Transportation Board on Oct. 15, clearing the way for construction to begin in 2022.
“On a busy weekend, I-17 sees more than 50,000 vehicles per day,” Ducey said at a press conference announcing the project in 2019. “And with this new expansion, I-17 will be less congested, and safer than ever before.”
The project also includes two bridge replacements, one bridge deck replacement, and 10 bridge widenings along the route.
“We’ll see a wider area of I-17, we’ll see the flex lanes, and what that means is: more capacity, less congestion and more safety improvements and really, hopefully, a better driving experience to get in and out of the Valley,” Douglas said.
When Construction begins, crews are expected to work from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weekdays only. ADOT reminds drivers to be patient during construction and always drive with extra care so crews can go home safe at the end of their shift.
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