Be prepared for a little extra time added to your commute this weekend, Phoenix residents. Due to the Loop 202 Construction, the Arizona Department of Transportation has announced that Pecos Road will shift to an interim alignment and close this weekend.

For those of you that frequent the route, you should take note that Pecos Road will be closed between 17th Avenue and 24th Street from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday.

The construction will affect approximately four miles of roadway, in efforts to improve the streets and overall flow of traffic throughout the metro area. ADOT stated that the eastbound lanes of Pecos will widened and restripped during the construction to add additional space for two more lanes of traffic in each direction.

The South Mountain Freeway project developer decided to move Pecos to it’s current form to “create a safe work zone for freeway construction while allowing local traffic to continue using Pecos Road,” according to a statement from ADOT.

The ongoing construction is a key part of the project to connect the East Valley and West Valley in an alternative route to Interstate 10. The alternative route will give travellers the much-needed option to avoid hectic downtown Phoenix traffic which will decrease their travel time. The Loop 202 extension will complete the Loop 202 and 101 freeway system and more cohesion to Phoenix’s roadways. 

No one is a big fan of construction, but in this case, it’s a necessity. So, while the closure this weekend may cause you a headache for a few days, you can be sure it will all be worth it when the extension project is complete and you see your daily commute evolve before your eyes.