Arizona DOT Releases Weekend Freeway Travel Advisory for Oct. 17-20
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is warning motorists to prepare for a busy weekend on the highways around Phoenix as crews undertake a series of pavement and widening projects along the Loop 101 Agua Fria Freeway and the Loop 202 Santan Freeway. In a travel advisory released on Oct. 16, 2025, ADOT details several closures and lane restrictions scheduled between Friday night and Monday morning, and it urges drivers to allow extra time, obey work‑zone speed limits and consider alternate routes.
According to ADOT’s notice, southbound Loop 101 between 75th Avenue and Thunderbird Road in Glendale will be fully closed from 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, until around noon Saturday, Oct. 18, so crews can seal the pavement. On‑ramps to southbound Loop 101 at 59th and 67th avenues will be closed during the same period. Drivers heading toward downtown Phoenix can exit at southbound 59th Avenue and use westbound Thunderbird Road to reach Loop 101 once it reopens.
The northbound side of Loop 101 will see a similar full closure between Thunderbird Road and 75th Avenue starting at 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, and lasting until noon Sunday, Oct. 19. On‑ramps at Peoria Avenue and Cactus Road/91st Avenue will also be blocked. ADOT advises motorists traveling north to exit before the closure, use surface streets to rejoin the freeway and be alert for crews reopening sections as work progresses.
Drivers will also encounter lane restrictions elsewhere on Loop 101. Eastbound Loop 101 will be narrowed to two lanes between 75th and 67th avenues and between 43rd and 27th avenues from 10 p.m. Friday through 6 p.m. Saturday for bridge work. In those sections the westbound HOV lane will be closed as well. On the Loop 202 Santan Freeway in the southeast Valley, crews will reduce traffic to two lanes in each direction between Loop 101 and Price Road from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday to facilitate construction on a widening project.
ADOT emphasizes that schedules may change due to weather or unforeseen factors and reminds travelers that many of the projects are funded through voter‑approved initiatives to expand and improve the Phoenix freeway network. Real‑time travel information is available at AZ511.gov, via the AZ 511 mobile app and by calling 511. For anyone planning to visit Motor Vehicle Division offices or take road tests this weekend, allow extra travel time and consider alternate routes to ensure you arrive safely and on time.