Heavy traffic causing delays on I-17 during Memorial Day weekend

PHOENIX — People looking to get out of town for the Memorial Day weekend are running into a snag on Interstate 17.

The Arizona Department of Transportation said Saturday that heavy traffic on I-17 northbound is causing long delays.

The longest delays start in far north Phoenix near Anthem to the Sunset Point rest area almost 30 miles north near Black Canyon City.

There is no estimated time for the delay to clear, according to ADOT.

Delays are about the same as an hour ago on I-17 northbound, where most of the backup is from roughly Anthem to Table Mesa Road past New River. Estimated travel time from Anthem to:
– SR 69 (Prescott turnoff): 51
– Flagstaff: 134#aztraffic pic.twitter.com/jRVNU8yFis

— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) May 25, 2019

ADOT said drivers should allow for extra travel time and consider taking alternate routes, including through Payson on state routes 87 and 260.

Despite higher than normal gas prices, more than 877,000 Arizonans are expected to travel during the three-day weekend, an increase of over 4% from 2018.

The average price for a gallon of regular was $3.14 in Arizona on Friday, $3.18 for the Phoenix area, according to AAA.

Arizona’s average was the ninth highest in the nation. The national average was $2.85.

From mid-March to mid-April, Arizona prices shot up more than 40 cents a gallon.

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