CAMP VERDE — A crash closed the southbound lanes of Interstate 17 south of Camp Verde on Wednesday evening, snarling Veterans Day travel on the main route between northern Arizona and the Valley, according to releases from the Arizona Department of Transportation.
ADOT said the crash happened near milepost 278, about seven miles south of Camp Verde. In its first alert, sent shortly before 8 p.m., the agency told drivers to expect delays, seek an alternate route and plan for no estimated reopening time.
The northbound lanes were not affected, ADOT said.
A little more than an hour later, the department announced that the southbound lanes were open again. Drivers were warned to expect lingering delays while the backup cleared.
ADOT did not say how many vehicles were involved or whether anyone was hurt. The Arizona Department of Public Safety typically investigates crashes on state highways and had not released details as of Thursday morning.
I-17 is the primary link between Flagstaff, the Verde Valley and metro Phoenix, and southbound traffic is often heavy at the end of holidays and long weekends as travelers head back to the Valley. Few practical detours exist on the stretch south of Camp Verde, so even short closures can leave drivers stopped for miles.
The closure came on a busy day for northern Arizona highways. Earlier Wednesday, a separate crash closed Interstate 40 east of Kingman in both directions, and ADOT announced that more of State Route 89A in Oak Creek Canyon had reopened after flood damage.
ADOT reminds drivers that real-time highway conditions are available at az511.gov, on the AZ511 app, or by calling 511.
Sources: Arizona Department of Transportation news releases. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Bureau of Land Management / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
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