Loop 101 closures, Loop 303 restriction set Sept. 11-14

Updated 6:45 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12: The scheduled closures are now in effect. Two Loop 101 construction projects have closed major West Valley freeway segments, while a third work zone has closed westbound Loop 303 at 43rd Avenue.

The restrictions are scheduled to continue through 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 14. Drivers traveling between I-10, Glendale and the Northwest Valley may encounter more than one work zone and should allow extra time.

Westbound Loop 101 closure near Glendale

ADOT says westbound Loop 101 is closed between 51st and 75th avenues until 5 a.m. Monday. The westbound Loop 101 on-ramps at 27th and 35th avenues also are closed.

The northbound and southbound I-17 ramps to westbound Loop 101 are scheduled to remain closed until 5 a.m. Monday. ADOT suggests westbound Bell Road or Union Hills Drive as detour routes for motorists traveling around the closure.

The work is part of the $140 million Loop 101 widening project between 75th Avenue and I-17. The project is adding a general-purpose lane in each direction, widening bridges and making ramp, drainage, lighting and pavement improvements. Construction began in September 2024 and is scheduled for completion in spring 2027.

A fourth westbound lane opened between 51st and 75th avenues after a late-August closure, but other parts of the corridor project remain under construction.

Northbound Loop 101 closure north of I-10

Farther south, northbound Loop 101 is closed from I-10 to Indian School Road until 5 a.m. Monday. The eastbound and westbound I-10 ramps to northbound Loop 101 also are closed.

ADOT suggests using 83rd, 91st or 99th avenues to reach Loop 101 north of the closure. Drivers traveling between I-10 communities and the Northwest Valley should allow extra time, particularly if their route would also encounter the westbound closure near 75th Avenue.

This southern closure is part of a separate Loop 101/I-10 system-interchange project. Work began in mid-May 2026 and is expected to continue for about three years. Planned improvements include a direct high-occupancy-vehicle ramp connecting northbound Loop 101 with eastbound I-10, freeway widening, a new south-to-east slip ramp to 91st Avenue and changes to ramps near McDowell Road.

Westbound Loop 303 closed at 43rd Avenue

Westbound Loop 303 is closed at 43rd Avenue until 5 a.m. Monday for bridge construction. ADOT says drivers can leave the freeway at the westbound 43rd Avenue off-ramp, cross the work area and use the 43rd Avenue on-ramp to continue west on Loop 303.

The short diversion is east of the Loop 303 interchange with I-17. It does not require drivers to take a separate arterial-road detour, but motorists should expect merging and slower traffic around the ramp connection.

Readers following longer-term projects along the corridor can consult West Valley Post’s Loop 303 Development & Infrastructure Tracker.

Check conditions before leaving

Construction plans can change because of weather or other factors. Drivers can check real-time conditions through AZ511 before leaving.

Correction, Sept. 12, 2026: An earlier version listed Thomas Road as the northern boundary of the south Loop 101 closure. ADOT’s final advisory lists Indian School Road.

Featured image: Archival photo of Loop 101 at Interstate 17 in north Phoenix, photographed Sept. 11, 2010 by Alan Stark. The image does not depict the current construction work. Source: Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image resized for publication.