Driving I-17 scary and potentially unsafe :shocked: (Sedona, Strawberry: vehicle, bike)

[curly5759]

The OP mentions truck lanes. That is what ADOT is doing on the southbound I17 going up Copper canyon hill. (Out of Camp Verde)

Curly

[wit-nit]

Originally Posted by curly5759

The OP mentions truck lanes. That is what ADOT is doing on the southbound I17 going up Copper canyon hill. (Out of Camp Verde)

Curly

You are correct about the ADOT lanes from mile post 280 to 282 farther up the highway but I believe OP is talking about the curvy steep mile posts 242 to 248 north from Black Canyon City area which is the more congested narrower roadway. That area is not scheduled yet for widening and won't be until estimated 2050.

[swbrotha100]

I did the drive on I-17 to northern Arizona a couple weeks ago. It's a beautiful and scenic drive most of the way up. There are areas where people really need to slow down, and that's what makes some of the ride a little scary.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by nitram

You are correct about the ADOT lanes from mile post 280 to 282 farther up the highway but I believe OP is talking about the curvy steep mile posts 242 to 248 north from Black Canyon City area which is the more congested narrower roadway. That area is not scheduled yet for widening and won't be until estimated 2050.

I have driven that more times than I can remember. I don't think it is much of a problem as long as the trucks stay in the right lane like they are supposed to. The left lane moves along decently and the stretch is fairly short. Three lanes would not hurt of course, but it would not be my priority for tight freeway funds.

[Jaggy001]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I have driven that more times than I can remember. I don't think it is much of a problem as long as the trucks stay in the right lane like they are supposed to. The left lane moves along decently and the stretch is fairly short. Three lanes would not hurt of course, but it would not be my priority for tight freeway funds.

This ^^^^^

I drive I17 from 179 to Phoenix and back a lot.

Mostly, the traffic flows just fine on the road. On the climbs from Black Canyon City to Sunset Point, from Camp Verde to Cherry and the climb from 179 up towards Flagstaff you just need to be a little patient from time to time.

The main irritation on the road is not the big rigs. Rather it is the left lane campers - often with CA plates - who seem oblivious to any other driver on the road.

[AZDesertBrat]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I have driven that more times than I can remember. I don't think it is much of a problem as long as the trucks stay in the right lane like they are supposed to. The left lane moves along decently and the stretch is fairly short. Three lanes would not hurt of course, but it would not be my priority for tight freeway funds.

I also have driven that hiway more times than I can remember or count. I've done it three times, round trip, in the past couple of weeks. Only once have I been held up because of an accident anywhere on the hiway. Last Sat. there was that accident just north of Black Canyon City and it took me 4 hours to do a 2 hour, or less, drive. What a mess. Cars and trucks lined up for, literally, miles. Most of the time the trucks and RVs do stay in the right lane and that's nice. As long as there are no accidents I think it's a great drive.

[azdr0710]

a third lane would certainly be safer and more efficient....yes, other similar areas across the country do have them....and, yes, it would be tremendously expensive to add....

I-17 was built to its current configuration in the mid-1960s and was state-of-the-art at the time....and the population of metropolitan Phoenix then was about 700,000....

Arizona @ AARoads - Interstate 17

[dododolittle]

my first meeting with I-17 Southbound was in winter of 1992 on our way to San Diego . we had left the flatlands of Nebraska and spent the night in Flag ,next morning when we left Flag it started to snow . i had not had any pervious driving up or down mountains .on the way down until we got into San Diego it seems we hit just about every kind of storm on earth . that even included a sandstorm as we went West on I-10 .
now i drive from where i get on I-17 at Cordes Junction and coast right on down . still at times i think of my first trip down from Sunset Point as the scariest . that belongs though driving East on I-80 through Nebraska and road is solid black ice .

[chaparrito]

I encounter two different scenarios when driving the climb north on 17. Both are the result of ignorant rudeness.

A big rig going about 40 mph is attempting to pass another big rig going 39, effectively blocking both lanes.

When passing a big rig at the speed limit, some brain dead moron zooms up on my tail going 10-15 mph over the speed limit and expects me to match his speed and get out of his way. If I am going the speed limit and am passing a slow vehicle in the left lane, nobody has the right to tailgate me into hurrying up.
Those feelings of personal powerlessness you're experiencing are not my problem. Take it out on somebody else.

[Salpointe59]

It was only a few short years ago (40) that the road to Flag was one paved lane on each side. 60 years ago there were still sections that were hard gravel. As tough as it is the road now is much improved. For an adventure try the Fossile Creek road from Strawberry to the I 17 connection.