Initial I-17 restrictions start for wildlife overpass project (May 12)

FLAGSTAFF – Lane restrictions needed for construction of a wildlife overpass along Interstate 17 south of Flagstaff are starting this week, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

I-17 will be narrowed to one lane in each direction in the work zone about 12 miles south of Flagstaff. Drivers should be prepared to slow down, stay alert and merge safely when approaching and traveling through the area (mileposts 326-328). Budget extra travel time, especially during peak travel times on weekends.

Crews this week will place temporary concrete barrier walls used as part of the work zone. 

ADOT is partnering with the Arizona Game and Fish Department on the $15.8 million wildlife overpass project designed to reduce the risk of crashes involving animals, especially elk and deer.

The earth- and native vegetation-covered wildlife overpass north of Willard Springs Road will be 100 feet wide and designed to allow animals to cross over the highway. Two bridge spans will include steel-reinforced concrete girders. The project is scheduled for completion by fall 2026.

Most funding for the project comes from a grant through the Federal Highway Administration’s Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program. 

At a later stage in the project, crews will pave temporary I-17 median crossovers in the area to allow traffic to be shifted to one side of the highway, as needed, to limit closures while the overpass is being built. Barrier walls will be placed between the two directions of travel when those traffic shifts occur.

The project area accounted for 58% of crashes involving wildlife within a longer 32-mile stretch of I-17 from Stoneman Lake Road north to Flagstaff between 2018 and 2022. Law enforcement crash reports for the area indicate 75 percent of all crashes with wildlife involve elk, which can weigh up to 1,100 pounds. 

Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov and via the AZ511 app (download free for Apple and Android devices). ADOT also provides highway condition updates via its X/Twitter feed, @ArizonaDOT.