PHOENIX — Valley drivers heading out for Halloween weekend face closures on four freeways, including a full shutdown of southbound State Route 51, the Arizona Department of Transportation said.
In a weekend advisory sent to news media and the Thee Arizona Times tip inbox, ADOT said southbound SR 51 will be closed between Cactus Road and Northern Avenue from 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, to 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 2. Southbound on-ramps from Bell Road to 26th Street will also be closed. Drivers can detour on southbound 7th Street.
Eastbound Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) will be closed between McQueen and Cooper roads from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, with eastbound on-ramps from Dobson Road to Arizona Avenue closed. ADOT suggests using Pecos or Germann roads.
In the north Valley, westbound Loop 101 will be closed between Interstate 17 and 51st Avenue from 8 p.m. Friday to noon Sunday, Nov. 1. The I-17 ramps to westbound Loop 101 will be closed, and drivers can use Deer Valley or Union Hills roads. Southbound 19th Avenue traffic will be routed to Union Hills Drive, according to the advisory.
Eastbound Loop 303 will be closed between 43rd Avenue and I-17 from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, with a detour on northbound 43rd Avenue to eastbound Dove Valley Road. The westbound I-10 frontage road between 91st and 99th avenues will also be closed through 5 a.m. Monday.
Arizona’s Family reported the closures, timed with Halloween festivities, are expected to slow traffic across the Valley. Much of the work is part of improvement projects funded through the regional transportation sales taxes approved under Propositions 400 and 479, ADOT said.
ADOT reminds drivers that schedules can change because of weather or other factors. Real-time conditions are available at az511.gov, on the AZ511 app or by calling 511.
Sources: Arizona Department of Transportation news release (Oct. 29, 2026), Arizona’s Family, AZ511. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Stratosphere / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
