With the holiday weekend ahead of us there is bound to be Halloween parties all weekend. Not to mention little ones hitting the streets begging for candy from door to door on Friday evening. With that said, safety this weekend is definitely a high priority.

As for the  weekend Freeway Restrictions in the Phoenix Valley you might want to just simply keep the car parked all the way around! Depending on your Halloween travel requirements - you may want to consider that as a scary hot tip for this weekend . . . because the way it looks- it’s simply not safe for a ghoul or goblin out there!

Remembering the areas affected by the new installation of DPS speed enforcement cameras . . . after these are installed and working, I bet a number of us will wish that we could disappear like a ghost!  The following areas are targeted for this weekend, so you will need to find alternative routes for these affected areas (closures range from 10 pm Friday to Sunday at 5 am):

• Northbound Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) closed between Glendale and Northern Avenues

• Southbound 1-17 closed between the I-10 “Stack” and 24th Street
• Eastbound I-10 closed between 59th and 19th avenues

In addition, ADOT road closures will pop up in other areas of the valley as well.  This witches brew of construction activity includes closing a section of Northbound Loop 101 between Warner Road and Southern Avenue throughout the weekend for carpool lane construction and closing Westbound I-10 between State Route 143 (Hohokam Expressway) and I-10/I-17 “Split” from midnight to 7 a.m. Saturday.

Now the work in the other affected areas of the valley will result in the “watch out/slow down” lane restriction variety (narrowing the freeway to one or two lanes), however, in most cases the restrictions will last throughout the weekend.  Areas affected include (see map or details below for exact areas):

• I-10 (Westside of town near Dysart Road)
• Southbound Loop 101 (Scottsdale area/Loop 202)
• State Route 51 (North side of town near Greenway)
• US 60 (Tempe near I-10)

As you can tell, many areas will be under some type of closure and/or lane restrictions this weekend.  Your options might be better if you fire up your broom and take it for a spin and avoid the street traffic, but if you must. . . check out the best possible route beforehand and identify alternatives routes as well, just in case.   As always, buckle up and drive safely! Have a Happy Halloween too!

Weekend Freeway Restrictions in Phoenix Area (Oct. 31-Nov. 3)

PHOENIX —Several projects to add new lanes and make other improvements along Phoenix area freeways will require closures or lane restrictions this weekend (Oct. 31-Nov. 3). The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) recommends drivers use alternate routes and allow extra travel time.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety has recently begun a project to install speed-enforcement cameras on freeways around metro Phoenix . While the Arizona Department of Transportation does not operate this program, ADOT is working with DPS to create safe work zones while crews install the cameras.

To facilitate the safe work zones, occasional restrictions and closures may be necessary to install the camera hardware on freeway shoulders, and to embed sensors into the freeway pavement. ADOT will make every effort to keep the public informed when these installation activities affect freeway traffic.

The following closures and restrictions are for freeway construction work:

• Northbound Loop 101 (Price Freeway) closed between Warner Road and Southern Avenue from 11 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday (Nov. 3) for carpool lane construction. US 60 ramps to northbound Loop 101 also closed. DETOUR: Northbound traffic will detour along frontage road.

• Westbound I-10 closed between State Route 143 (Hohokam Expressway) and I-10/I-17 “Split” from midnight to 7 a.m. Saturday (Nov. 1) for freeway maintenance. DETOUR: I-10 traffic can use northbound SR 143 to westbound Loop 202 to reach I-10.

• US 60 (Superstition Freeway) narrowed to two lanes between I-10 and McClintock Drive for start of widening project. Eastbound US 60 narrowed from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday (Nov. 1). Westbound US 60 narrowed from 11 p.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday (Nov. 2). DETOUR: Be prepared to slow down and merge safely in the work zone.

• State Route 51 narrowed to two lanes between Greenway Road and Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) for carpool lane construction. Northbound SR 51 narrowed from 10 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday (Nov. 1). Southbound SR 51 narrowed from 10 p.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday (Nov. 2). Westbound Loop 101 ramp to southbound SR 51 also closed during Saturday night restriction. DETOUR: Be prepared to slow down and merge safely in the work zone.

• Southbound Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) narrowed to two lanes between Via De Ventura and Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday (Nov. 3) for lane striping. DETOUR: Please slow down and merge safely in the work zone.

• I-10 narrowed to one lane in each direction between Dysart Road and Avondale Boulevard from 9 p.m. Sunday to 4 a.m. Monday (Nov. 3) for freeway widening work. DETOUR: Please slow down and merge safely in the work zone.

The following closures are for DPS photo enforcement camera installation this weekend:

• Northbound Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) closed between Glendale and Northern avenues from 11 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday (Nov. 1). DETOUR: Traffic will exit at Glendale Avenue and take 91st or 99th avenues north to Northern Avenue .

• Southbound 1-17 closed between the I-10 “Stack” and 24th Street from 10 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday (Nov. 1). DETOUR: I-17 traffic can detour on eastbound I-10 through the Deck Park Tunnel.

• Eastbound I-10 closed between 59th and 19th avenues from 10 p.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday (Nov. 2). DETOUR: Traffic can detour south to Buckeye Road to 19th Avenue to reconnect with I-10.

For a complete listing of freeway and highway closures or restrictions across Arizona visit ADOT’s Travel Information site at www.az511.gov or call 5-1-1.

The Arizona Department of Transportation is coordinating freeway improvements throughout the Phoenix area.  These projects, including new freeways, additional lanes and interchanges, quiet rubberized asphalt, new landscaping and more, are included in the 20-year Regional Transportation Plan for Maricopa County .  More than $15 billion in comprehensive, diverse transportation improvements are funded in the plan through a voter-approved sales tax.  More information about ADOT’s work as part of the Regional Transportation Plan is available at www.ValleyFreeways.com.