A project to improve the riding surface along both directions of Interstate 17 between Dunlap Avenue and Deer Valley Road in north Phoenix will start with a northbound freeway closure this weekend, Sept. 16-19, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT).
Northbound I-17 will be closed between Thunderbird Road and Yorkshire Drive from 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16 to 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 18. Northbound I-17 on-ramps between Northern Avenue and Bell Road also will be closed.
The $16 million project will include the removal of the top layer of older, worn rubberized asphalt along stretches of I-17 during the initial stage of construction. The pavement removal work will take place during a series of weekend closures this fall. The entire project is scheduled for completion next summer, 2023.
Work next year will focus on the use of specialized machines to diamond grind the freeway’s riding surface. The equipment removes a thin layer of the concrete pavement while adding small grooves. The treatment provides a smoother ride while helping to limit freeway traffic noise.
The I-17 work follows a recent I-10 diamond grinding project that improved pavement conditions between 19th Avenue and Avondale Boulevard in the West Valley.
ADOT also has used the diamond grinding treatment in recent years on sections of Loop 101 and Loop 202.
Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov.
