New I-17 lanes open between Anthem and Black Canyon City

Added lanes will help reduce congestion and increase safety along corridor

PHOENIX – Drivers traveling on Interstate 17 north of the Phoenix area now have an extra lane in each direction along a 15-mile stretch between Anthem Way and Black Canyon City just in time for the Memorial Day travel weekend. 

The newly opened lanes are part of the I-17 Improvement Project, which is also building eight miles of flex lanes between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point. In addition to the new lanes, the project is reconstructing 10 bridges and replacing two other bridges throughout the 23-mile corridor to accommodate the wider highway and additional lanes. 

I-17 is considered a Key Commerce Corridor that is crucial to Arizona’s travel, tourism and economic development opportunities. The newly widened segment opened recently after a final layer of paving was completed and the final striping was applied. 

The new lanes were constructed using more than 1.7 million cubic yards of earth material and rock that were removed from the mountainsides through controlled rock blasting and excavation work since construction began in September 2022. A large portion of the material removed during earthwork and blasting was crushed on-site and used as aggregate base, embankment and rock mulch, eliminating the need to outsource material and cutting down on construction costs.

While the new lanes are open between Anthem Way and Black Canyon City, work continues on the two flex lanes, which run adjacent to the existing southbound lanes between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point. Several of the flex lanes safety features, including the two vehicle arresting barriers and the automated swing gates, are currently being installed and tested. The flex lanes are expected to open later in 2025. 

Despite major construction activity taking place throughout this heavily traveled corridor, I-17 remains open during weekdays, weekends and holidays. Construction-related lane closures and restrictions take place during the weeknight overnight hours to minimize impacts to the traveling public who rely on this corridor.

For more information about the I-17 Improvement Project or to sign up for the weekly traffic alerts, visit improvingi17.com. For the latest information on highway closures and conditions, visit az511.com.