Arizona highways will not be closed, restricted over Thanksgiving weekend
Nov 21, 2017, 5:01 AM | Updated: 11:17 am
Arizona Highway (Flickr/Alan Stark)
(Flickr/Alan Stark)
PHOENIX — There’s a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, including the fact that there are no planned construction closures along state highways during the holiday weekend.
According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, there are no scheduled closures for construction from Friday until late Monday evening.
However, road restrictions for ongoing construction projects will remain in place, the department said.
The department said it wants to focus its efforts on keeping drivers safe and responding quickly to any potential accidents.
And there are sure to be some: More than 844,000 Arizonans are expected to hit the road this Thanksgiving, an increase of more than 3 percent compared to last year.
Related: Here are some tips for those traveling out of Arizona this Thanksgiving
In order to combat expected crashes and delays, state and local agencies will deploy extra enforcement and resources in three “holiday travel corridors” over the Thanksgiving weekend.
These corridors will take place on the Interstate 17 between north Phoenix and Flagstaff, Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson and State Route 87 between Mesa and Payson.
The department will stage equipment, including utility trucks, in these areas in order to respond more quickly to accidents and incidents of stalled vehicles.
In addition, the department will reduce temporarily speed limits by 10 mph on the I-17 between New River and Sunset Point Rest Area during peak travel periods.
Drivers are encouraged to use caution in these areas, as well as existing work zones, in order to reduce travel delays this holiday.
