Drivers planning Phoenix-area trips this weekend need a new map, because the Arizona Department of Transportation is closing major freeway segments on Loop 101, Loop 202, and Loop 303 through Monday morning.
According to the official ADOT Weekend Freeway Travel Advisory for July 24 to 27, three full closures plus a multi-day SR 51 lane cut are scheduled for pavement and widening work, with schedules subject to weather and other factors. Local outlet YourValley / Daily Independent also summarized the same ADOT weekend package for Valley drivers.
This is a new weekend window, not a rehash of the earlier July 17 to 20 package Deep Arrival covered on SR 51 and Loop 202. The traveler decision is simple: leave earlier, take the published detours, or shift airport and hotel timing before Monday morning traffic returns to normal.
- Window: Friday night July 24 through about 5 am Monday July 27 on most segments.
- Full closures: Southbound Loop 101 Price, eastbound Loop 202 Santan, eastbound Loop 303.
- Lane cut: Northbound SR 51 narrowed Northern Avenue to Shea Boulevard all weekend.
- Extra ramp: Westbound I-10 to eastbound Loop 202 closed Sunday night into Monday.
- Who is affected: Tempe, East Valley, North Phoenix, and airport-area surface detours.
What is closed and when
ADOT lists a southbound Loop 101 Price Freeway closure between Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway and Rio Salado Parkway in Tempe from 9 pm Friday to 5 am Monday for pavement work.
Southbound on-ramps at Thomas, McDowell, and McKellips roads close starting at 8 pm Friday.
Eastbound Loop 202 Santan Freeway is closed between Gilbert Road and Williams Field Road from 10 pm Friday to 5 am Monday for widening.
Eastbound Loop 303 is closed between 43rd Avenue and Interstate 17 in North Phoenix on the same 10 pm to 5 am Monday window for widening.
Northbound State Route 51, the Piestewa Freeway, is narrowed to two lanes between Northern Avenue and Shea Boulevard from 9 pm Friday to 5 am Monday for pavement improvement.
That is not a full closure, but it will slow north Phoenix and Scottsdale approaches.
A shorter Sunday night item also matters for East Valley returns.
The westbound I-10 ramp to eastbound Loop 202 Santan closes from 9 pm Sunday to 5 am Monday for preliminary work on a future project.
Detours ADOT wants drivers to use
For southbound Loop 101, ADOT says exit ahead of the closure and use local routes such as southbound Scottsdale Road or Alma School Road. Southbound Loop 101 ramps to Loop 202 in both directions remain open, which is useful for Red Mountain transfers even while the Price Freeway segment is dark.
For eastbound Loop 202 Santan, the official detour language points drivers toward northbound Gilbert Road to eastbound Williams Field Road to reconnect with Loop 202. For eastbound Loop 303, traffic can exit to northbound 43rd Avenue, then use eastbound Dove Valley Road for I-17 or North Valley Parkway access.
For the Sunday night I-10 to Loop 202 ramp outage, ADOT suggests westbound I-10 to eastbound Chandler Boulevard to southbound Kyrene Road. Those local arterials will carry extra volume, so build buffer if you are collecting passengers near Sky Harbor or East Valley hotels after late flights.
ADOT also notes that restriction schedules can change for weather or other factors. Treat the July 23 advisory as the baseline and recheck ADOT traffic conditions before you commit to a tight flight or event arrival.
Who should change plans first
Airport travelers connecting between Sky Harbor and Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, or north Phoenix should re-time Sunday night and early Monday movements. A detour that looks fine at noon can stack late Friday and Saturday night when construction signs light up.
Hotel and event planners with Saturday or Sunday group arrivals should publish the Loop 101 and Loop 202 detours to drivers rather than assuming GPS alone will keep coaches on freeways. Charter buses that miss a ramp can lose 20 to 40 minutes on unfamiliar surface streets.
Families heading to water parks or day trips that use the East Valley freeways should leave earlier for both the go and the return. Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix planners can still use Deep Arrival’s Hurricane Harbor Phoenix planning hub for park logistics, then layer the freeway window on top of gate times.
RV and multi-day visitors based near Scottsdale should treat northbound SR 51 as a slow lane, not a full stop. The Scottsdale RV parks and campgrounds guide remains useful for lodging choice, while I-17 is ADOT’s suggested alternate for some northbound SR 51 trips.
What continues after the weekend
ADOT says northbound SR 51 will stay narrowed to two lanes around the clock from Highland Avenue to Camelback Road for about seven weeks starting at 12:05 am Monday, July 27, for worn pavement replacement.
That longer job is separate from the weekend Northern-to-Shea cut, and it will keep northbound Piestewa slower after the weekend closures reopen.
The agency frames the Phoenix-area work as part of the Regional Transportation Plan funded in part by Proposition 400, with Proposition 479 extending the sales tax after the November 2024 vote. Funding context explains why multi-weekend closures keep returning, but it does not change this weekend’s detour map.
Compared with the prior mid-July weekend package, this advisory adds Loop 101 Price and Loop 303 while keeping East Valley Santan work in the mix. Drivers who already learned the July 17 pattern still need a fresh plan for Tempe and North Phoenix segments.
How this weekend fits airport and hotel timing
Sky Harbor travelers should treat Friday night through early Monday as a surface-street period for any Tempe, East Valley, or North Phoenix last mile. A rental-car return that looked fine last week can now collide with Loop 101 or Loop 202 detours.
Hotel shuttles and rideshare drivers need the named detours in the trip notes, not only the hotel address. A driver who reenters a closed ramp will stack behind construction barrels while the clock runs on boarding or check-in windows.
If you can shift a nonessential drive to midday Saturday or Sunday, you may still hit open segments outside the overnight full closures. The overnight windows are where full Loop 101, Loop 202, and Loop 303 cuts concentrate.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Drive southbound Loop 101 through Tempe this weekend | Exit early and use Scottsdale Road or Alma School Road; expect heavy surface traffic. |
| Need eastbound Loop 202 Santan between Gilbert and Williams Field | Use Gilbert Road to Williams Field Road and add time for Sunday night returns. |
| Travel eastbound Loop 303 near I-17 in North Phoenix | Exit at 43rd Avenue and follow Dove Valley Road toward I-17 or North Valley Parkway. |
| Use northbound SR 51 from midtown toward Shea | Expect two-lane flow and consider I-17 for longer northbound trips. |
| Need the westbound I-10 to eastbound Loop 202 ramp late Sunday | Reroute via Chandler Boulevard and Kyrene Road until 5 am Monday. |
- Leave earlier: Build buffer Friday night through Monday morning on all listed segments.
- Recheck ADOT: Schedules can change for weather; refresh before airport or event departures.
- Use named detours: Prefer ADOT’s published surface routes over untested GPS shortcuts.
- Watch SR 51 after Monday: The Highland to Camelback lane cut continues about seven weeks.
- Share with groups: Hotels and charters should post detours, not only flight times.
For anyone still on the road Sunday night, treat the final ramp closure on I-10 to Loop 202 as a hard edge.
If your hotel or rental car desk sits east of that interchange, complete the movement before 9 pm or accept the Chandler Boulevard detour.
When do the Phoenix weekend freeway closures end?
Most full closures run through about 5 am Monday, July 27, according to ADOT’s July 24 to 27 advisory.
Is Loop 101 fully closed both directions?
No. ADOT lists a southbound Loop 101 Price Freeway closure in Tempe, and southbound ramps to Loop 202 remain open.
Does SR 51 close completely this weekend?
No. Northbound SR 51 is narrowed to two lanes between Northern Avenue and Shea Boulevard during the weekend window.
What is different from the July 17 to 20 Phoenix freeway work?
This advisory is a new weekend with Loop 101 Price and Loop 303 closures plus Santan and SR 51 work, not the same prior package.
Will SR 51 stay restricted after the weekend?
Yes. ADOT plans about seven weeks of around-the-clock northbound narrowing from Highland Avenue to Camelback Road starting early Monday July 27.
