Eastbound Loop 303 closes near I-17 Sept. 18-21

Eastbound Loop 303/Sonoran Desert Drive will close between 43rd Avenue and Interstate 17 for the entire weekend beginning Friday night, Sept. 18, as construction continues on the freeway’s northern connection.

The Arizona Department of Transportation says the closure will run from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 21. It covers eastbound Loop 303 from 43rd Avenue to just east of the I-17 bridge.

The closure will affect drivers traveling from north Peoria and the Lake Pleasant area toward I-17, north Phoenix and destinations east of the interchange.

Loop 303 detour routes

ADOT directs eastbound Loop 303 drivers to travel north on 43rd Avenue and then east on Dove Valley Road. From Dove Valley Road, drivers can reach northbound or southbound I-17.

Drivers continuing toward Sonoran Desert Drive can take Dove Valley Road east to North Valley Parkway, then head south to Sonoran Desert Drive.

Southbound I-17 drivers who want to reach Sonoran Desert Drive should also use Dove Valley Road and North Valley Parkway, according to ADOT.

Drivers should allow extra time and watch for traffic shifts around the work zone. ADOT’s current restriction notice is available on its Loop 303/I-17 closure page.

More closures follow next week

The weekend shutdown is the first in a series of eastbound restrictions scheduled through the end of September.

• Sept. 21-25: Eastbound Loop 303 will close nightly between 43rd Avenue and I-17 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., beginning Monday night and ending Friday morning.
• Sept. 25-28: The same eastbound stretch will close continuously from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday.

Westbound Loop 303 also remains narrowed to one lane between I-17 and 43rd Avenue through October. The posted speed limit in that work zone is 45 mph. Westbound drivers trying to avoid delays can use the northbound I-17 exit at Dove Valley Road, then travel west to 43rd Avenue and south to Loop 303.

West Valley Post previously reported the westbound lane restriction near I-17.

What the construction is building

The closures are part of ADOT’s Loop 303 improvement project between Lake Pleasant Parkway and I-17. Construction began in January 2026 and is expected to take about two and a half years.

The project will add a third general-purpose lane in each direction, build direct freeway-to-freeway ramps at the Loop 303/I-17 system interchange, add bridges for a future interchange at 67th Avenue, install new lighting and signs, and make drainage improvements.

ADOT is delivering the project with the Maricopa Association of Governments and the cities of Phoenix and Peoria. It is funded in part by Proposition 479, the transportation sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2024.

For the broader construction schedule and related development, see the West Valley Post Loop 303 Development & Infrastructure Tracker.