I-17

[hikeaz]

Short closures on I-17 today
Drivers north of Phoenix will face brief freeway closures Tuesday that will allow a road crew to clear away rocks.

The Arizona Department of Transportation announced Interstate 17 North near Black Canyon City would be blocked off around 10:30 a.m. for about 15 minutes, maybe less. More work would be done at the same site around 1 p.m., lasting 15 min. +/- as well.

Southbound lanes near Sunset Point would follow suit at noon. That closure was expected to last an hour.

[nonot]

No matter how many lanes you have, if people insist on driving 55 in a 75 zone and refuse to yield their lane, it won't help the traffic..

[Jim]

WoW! About 20 to 30 years late, but it might see traffic by 2035, so that is great news!

[chumley]

project anticipated to begin in 2022

It was previously anticipated to begin in 2021, completing in 2023.
Regardless, even after reading all the literature, I fail to understand how the flex lane option was deemed to be the best of the alternatives for reducing congestion and increasing safety in this corridor. I guess time will tell.

[tdwood]

I fail to understand how the flex lane option was deemed to be the best of the alternatives for reducing congestion and increasing safety in this corridor.

I wonder what other options were seriously considered? This feels like a half-assed compromise solution driven by budgetary considerations. I can understand that the costs of engineering over those geographic challenges aren't going to come cheap but anything short of two additional dedicated lanes EACH direction seems terribly shortsighted. Furthermore, it doesn't appear to address the situation between Sunset Point and Cordes Junction. What happens when four lanes of northbound traffic get reduced to two? At minimum, it seems this plan should also include a third lane in both directions between SP and CJ.

[rustyshackleford135]

As bad as it sounds, the traffic might limit how many people are going up to flagstaff and the surrounding area. Making it easier and quicker will only add more people. How crowded will flag and coconino be after people realize they don't have to sit in traffic anymore?

[chumley]

@rustyshackleford135
There's probably a breaking point somewhere (and that point isn't the same for everybody) but I think that there are examples of other congested routes in America that lead away from population centers that are far more congested than I-17 and people still choose to sit in traffic for hours to get to their preferred destination.

But who knows. Maybe ADOT realizes that our population will stagnate and nosedive as soon as we start running out of water and there won't really be a need for increased capacity anymore after all.

[RedRoxx44]

!-17 cluster is nothing compared to the Vegas to LA commute on a Sun evening or the LA to San Diego commute.

[SuperstitionGuy]

Why don't we just wait for AOC's train to take up the slack then all our problems will be solved.
Just ask her and it will be done.

[chumley]

@SuperstitionGuy
Is I-17 in Queens and the Bronx?
No. It is not.

[big_load]

There's probably a breaking point somewhere (and that point isn't the same for everybody) but I think that there are examples of other congested routes in America that lead away from population centers that are far more congested than I-17 and people still choose to sit in traffic for hours to get to their preferred destination.

Unfortunately so. I-70 in Denver is a good example. For me, I-17 is a moderate annoyance, not even on par with my commute on I-80 or Rt. 10 in NJ, or any major road in the DC area.

[azbackpackr]

@big_load
Hey, you callin' us lightweights?

[big_load]

@azbackpackr

I guess it's all relative, but yeah, pretty much. Heading toward Denver on Friday a couple weeks ago, traffic in the opposite direction was bumper-to-bumper for over 70 miles.

[azbackpackr]

@big_load
I've heard about that. I was in Buena Vista just before Memorial Day, and managed to escape west just in time to avoid the rush.

[big_load]

@big_load
I've heard about that. I was in Buena Vista just before Memorial Day, and managed to escape west just in time to avoid the rush.

In CO, I'm usually willing to go very far out of my on back roads and I avoid the worst travel times, so almost never get caught in that myself. Buena Vista has access to some good escape options.

Were you rafting? I was in Salida for a few days and traveled as far downriver as Cotopaxi and north up to Leadville. I've never seen it so low. You could easily wade across the river at the park in Salida a couple weeks ago.

[azbackpackr]

@big_load
No, I went there for a WFR recert. One of the best instructors in the field, Darren "Daz" Stokes. As for fun, I paddled in a lake, rode my bike through the railroad tunnels, and did a very short hike.

[Alston_Neal]

Our personal best on I-17. After hiking by Stoneman Lake and then to our home at Greenway and the 51........8 hours!!!!

[big_load]

Our personal best on I-17. After hiking by Stoneman Lake and then to our home at Greenway and the 51........8 hours!!!!

That is pretty bad. It's like what happens here when it snows.

[The_Eagle]

This should be a great time for the next 3+ years!

https://ktar.com/story/4742627/arizona- ... f-phoenix/

[Jim]

It's 20 years overdue, but 100% necessary, and just like the I-10 widening from Sky Harbor to the 202, I am glad I won't be dealing with it (often) the way I did when I lived in Phoenix and went to Flagstaff a lot. At least from SE AZ, you can go north via Globe and skip I-17, if you want to add hours.

[Nighthiker]

Also using AZ 87, lot of traffic will be going thru town.