PHOENIX — A crash at Cactus Road forced the Arizona Department of Transportation to close the northbound lanes of State Route 51 in Phoenix early Monday, Oct. 26, snarling the start of the morning commute on the Piestewa Freeway.
ADOT announced the closure shortly after 5:20 a.m. and warned drivers to expect delays and find another route, saying at the time there was no estimate for when the lanes would reopen. Southbound SR 51 was not affected.
About six minutes later, the agency said in a follow-up release that the northbound lanes had reopened. ADOT did not release details about the crash, including how many vehicles were involved or whether anyone was hurt.
Drivers can check real-time highway conditions at az511.gov, through the AZ511 mobile app, or by calling 511.
Sources: Arizona Department of Transportation news releases (Oct. 26, 2026), AZ511. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Ken Lund / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
