ADOT

The closure will be on eastbound Interstate 10 between US 60 and Loop 202 San Tan Freeway.

The Arizona Department of Transportation is warning East Valley drivers to expect heavy delays this weekend as a portion of Interstate 10 will be closed from Friday through Monday as crews continue working on Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway.

The closure will be on eastbound Interstate 10 between US 60 and Loop 202 San Tan Freeway. And, according to ADOT spokesman Tom Hermann, the closure will allow crews to replace overhead signs. And even though surface streets in the area are expected to remain open, Hermann said drivers still should budget extra travel time and expect long delays.

“We really didn't want to dump all the traffic on surface streets. We didn't want to have neighborhoods overwhelmed with folks,” Hermann said. “So that's why we've chosen the route that we have.”

ADOT said eastbound drivers from western Arizona or California may want to consider bypassing Phoenix altogether by taking State Route 85 south to Interstate 8 and then driving east to re-enter I-10 south of Casa Grande.

According to ADOT, eastbound on-ramps at Baseline, Guadalupe, Elliot, Warner and Ray roads and Chandler Boulevard will be closed, as will the ramp from westbound US 60 to eastbound I-10, but westbound I-10 traffic isn’t affected by the restrictions.

ADOT said other closures this weekend include I-10 eastbound from the I-17 "Stack" interchange to State Route 51 from 9 p.m. Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday, and I-10 westbound from the I-17 "Split" interchange near 24th Street to Seventh Avenue from 9 p.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday.

According to ADOT, the 22-mile South Mountain Freeway is scheduled for full completion in 2020, although traffic is expected to begin using the freeway earlier.