Parts of I-17 to be closed Wednesday night in Phoenix following rain postponement

PHOENIX — Parts of Interstate 17 in Phoenix will be closed Wednesday night for work to shift traffic onto the new northbound side of the nearly completed freeway bridge over Central Avenue.

The freeway, which was closed Monday night, was also supposed to be closed Tuesday night for the project but was postponed because of rain, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Northbound I-17 will be closed from the I-10 split interchange near Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to Seventh Street from 9 p.m. Wednesday until 5 a.m. Thursday.

Southbound I-17 will be closed from Seventh Avenue to Seventh Street from 10 p.m. Wednesday to 4 a.m. Thursday.

Freeway traffic has been sharing the southbound part of the new bridge that was completed in February.

Along with being wider to accommodate plans for additional lanes along I-17, the new bridge will also provide increased clearance for commercial vehicles on Central Avenue as well as Valley Metro’s future South Central Avenue light-rail line, according to ADOT.

The $13.5 million project, which replaces the bridge that opened in 1962, began in May of last year and is scheduled to be complete this fall.

It was funded in part by a dedicated sales tax that Maricopa County voters approved in 2004.

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