Interstate 17 begins its northerly journey together with U.S. 60 as it exits from westbound Interstate 10; however, it is headed due west for the first few miles of its journey. Because Interstate 17 replaced old Arizona 69, it follows the original mileposts of Arizona 69. (For more on the mileposting and on Interstate 17, please visit Alan Hamilton's Interstate 17 page.) As a result of this numbering, the Interstate begins at Milepost 194 and remains east-west until Milepost 197, where it turns due north at the Durango Curve. This 90-degree turn results in a strange loop that forces Interstate 17 to intersect Interstate 10 again at Exit 200A. This pictures shows the first northbound shield for Interstate 17 paired with transcontinental U.S. 60. Photo taken 05/23/03.
One of the first exits along northbound Interstate 17 and westbound U.S. 60 is Exit 195B, 7th Street/Central Avenue (one mile). This exit actually connects to a frontage road that connects to 7th Street and Central Avenue. Both Central Avenue and 7th Street head north into downtown Phoenix and south to South Mountain, but they are separated by seven blocks. Central Avenue is the "centerline" street of the Phoenix grid system: All north-south city streets west of Central Avenue are numbered avenues; all north-south streets east of Central Avenue are numbered streets. This results in some confusion, since both 7th Street and 7th Avenue are major thoroughfares. In fact, 7th Street is even more important than Central Avenue, since 7th Street is a continuous corridor all the way to Loop 101 and beyond; Central Avenue is discontinuous at North Mountain. Photo taken 05/23/03.
As if to corroborate the theory about 7th Street and 7th Avenue being major corridors, the next exit along northbound is for 7th Avenue (Exit 196). In original plans for the Interstate highway system, this portion of Interstate 17 was originally planned as part of Interstate 10. That changed when Interstate 10 was rerouted onto its current alignment. Photo taken 05/23/03.
Mileage sign along northbound Interstate 17 and westbound U.S. 60 approaching Exit 196, 7th Avenue, one-half mile. The following exits are for 19th Avenue and Buckeye Road (former Arizona 85/U.S. 80). Photo taken 05/23/03.
Mileage sign along northbound Interstate 17 and westbound U.S. 60 approaching 19th Avenue, Buckeye Road, and Grant Street. Prior to the completion of Interstate 10, U.S. 60 used to follow Van Buren Street and Grand Avenue through downtown Phoenix. With the completion of the freeway grid, U.S. 60 was rerouted onto Interstate 10 and Interstate 17, and the old route was given to the city for maintenance. The superfluous routes associated with U.S. 60 (U.S. 70, 80, and 89) were decommissioned from Phoenix in the same chronological order: U.S. 70 - 1969, U.S. 80 - 1977, and U.S. 89 - 1992 (see U.S. Highways (Robert V. Droz) for more information). Photo taken 05/23/03.
Northbound Interstate 17 and westbound U.S. 60 approaching Exit 198, Former Arizona 85/Buckeye Road, one-half mile. Currently, Arizona 85 ends at its junction with Interstate 10 in Buckeye, but it used to follow the path of Old U.S. 80 along Buckeye Road into downtown Phoenix. With the completion of Interstate 10 in the 1980s-1990s, Buckeye Road was removed from the state highway system. Today, a portion of Buckeye Road west of the Phoenix city limits is known as Maricopa County Route 85. Photo taken 05/23/03.
Interstate 17 begins to turn north around the Durango Curve after traveling due west for a short distance along the southern fringe of downtown Phoenix as seen in this photo, at the exit to former Arizona 85/Buckeye Road (Exit 198). Photo taken 05/23/03.
Northbound Interstate 17 and westbound U.S. 60 approaching Exit 199A, Grant Road, one-half mile. The next exit is for Adams Street and Van Buren Street into downtown, followed by Interstate 10. Photo taken 05/23/03.
Northbound Interstate 17 and westbound U.S. 60 at Exit 199A, Grant Street. Photo taken 05/23/03.
Northbound Interstate 17 and westbound U.S. 60 approaching Exit 199B, Adams Street and Van Buren Street, one-half mile. Adams Street is a one-way street leading east to the Arizona State Capital. Van Buren Street leads east toward the Civic Center. Photo taken 05/23/03.
Northbound Interstate 17 and westbound U.S. 60 approaching Exit 199B, Adams Street and Van Buren Street, one-quarter mile. As in other metropolitan areas, variable message signs notifying drivers of pending traffic or weather conditions as well as news items (such as "Amber Alerts") are present in Phoenix, including this sign. Photo taken 05/23/03.
Northbound Interstate 17 and westbound U.S. 60 at Exit 199B, Adams Street and Van Buren Street. The Interstate 10 sign is notable for only listing a control city for westbound, even though the interchange provides full access in all directions. Photo taken 05/23/03.
Northbound Interstate 17 and westbound U.S. 60 approaching Exit 200A, Junction Interstate 10 East and West. The first ramp will be for eastbound followed by the ramp for westbound. The next exit after Interstate 10 is for McDowell Road. This is the only through traffic overhead that features both Interstate 17 and U.S. 60. Photo taken 05/23/03.
Northbound Interstate 17 and westbound U.S. 60 at the ramp to eastbound and westbound Interstate 10. Since the ramp provides access to both directions, they are both part of Exit 200A. Hazardous material vehicles that used Interstate 17 to bypass the Interstate 10 downtown tunnel should exit for Interstate 10 westbound here. Photo taken 05/23/03.
View of the Interstate 10 stack interchange as seen
from northbound Interstate 17 and westbound U.S. 60 west
of downtown Phoenix. Photo taken 05/23/03.
The next exit along northbound Interstate 17 and westbound
U.S. 60 is Exit 200B, McDowell Road. Photo taken 05/23/03.
The transition ramp from eastbound Interstate 10 to
northbound Interstate 17 partially obscures the next exit
sign along northbound for Westbound U.S. 60/Grand Avenue
and Thomas Road. Photo taken 05/23/03.
Northbound Interstate 17 and westbound U.S. 60 approaching
Exit 201, Junction Westbound U.S. 60/Grand Avenue and
Thomas Road. U.S. 60 exits the freeway here as a surface
street, Grand Avenue. Starting in downtown Phoenix at
the intersection of Van Buren and 7th Avenue, Grand Avenue
is an unusual diagonal route that cuts northwesterly through
Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, and Youngtown. Since it is
a busy, divided highway, it is frequently congested and
has potential for delays at each six-way intersection
as it bisects the grid pattern. Many of the old six-way
intersections along US 60 have been grade separated to
an extent, in projects completed during 2005. Photo taken
March 3, 2007.
Passing by the offramp for U.S. 60, Interstate 17 does
not encounter another U.S. route for the remainder of
its journey (although it comes close to U.S. 180 in Flagstaff).
U.S. 60 heads northwest toward Wickenburg, where it meets
U.S. 93. U.S. 93 continues north to Las Vegas, while U.S.
60 turns southwest to rejoin Interstate 10 east of Quartzsite.
At one time, U.S. 60 continued all the way to Los Angeles,
California, along with U.S. 70. While U.S. 70 has been
truncated all the way back to Globe in the 1970s, U.S.
60 makes almost it across the state before ending. Photo
taken March 3, 2007.
This section of Interstate 17 is the oldest freeway
in the Valley of the Sun, completed in approximately 1957.
Situated below grade for much of the distance between
Interstate 10 and Loop 101, Interstate 17 carries between
six and ten lanes along the Black Canyon Freeway. The
Black Canyon Freeway was originally part of Arizona 69,
but the Interstate was later routed over the freeway.
While the freeway has been expanded in the past to its
current configuration, future expansions will require
significant construction and removal of homes and businesses
near the right of way. This picture is along northbound
approaching Exit 202, Indian School Road, three-quarters
of a mile. Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway approaching
Exit 202, Indian School Road, one-half mile. The grid
pattern of major east-west streets leaving downtown Phoenix
from south to north are: Van Buren Street, McDowell Road,
Thomas Road, Indian School Road, Camelback Road, Bethany
Home Road, Glendale Avenue, Northern Avenue, Dunlap Avenue,
Peoria Avenue, Cactus Road, Thunderbird Road, Bell Road,
and Union Hills Drive. Each of these roads is spaced by
approximately one mile apart, and most of them are exits
from Interstate 17, Arizona 51, and both the east and
west legs of Loop 101. Some of the routes are discontinuous
due to mountains, open space, and intervening developments.
Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway at Exit
202, Indian School Road. The next exit is for Camelback
Road. Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway approaching
Exit 203, Camelback Road, three-quarters of a mile. This
sign is mounted on the overpass for Indian School Road.
Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway approaching
Exit 203, Camelback Road, one-half mile. Photo taken March
3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway at Exit
203, Camelback Road. Notice that the freeway is no longer
below grade, as it was near Exits 201 and 202. Photo taken
March 3, 2007.
The next exit along northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon
Freeway is Exit 204, Bethany Home Road. The exit ramp
is three-quarters of a mile north of the Camelback Road
overpass. Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Sound walls are in place along this stretch of northbound
Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway on the approach to
Exit 204, Bethany Home Road, one-half mile. The freeway
is at-grade here but will drop below Bethany Home Road
shortly. Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway at Exit
204, Bethany Home Road. This exit is a "SPUI," or single
point urban interchange. This means that only one set
of traffic lights regulates the flow of traffic across
the overpass. Photo taken March 3, 2007.
This unusual bridge structure is common for interchanges
that feature a SPUI design. Several interchanges in Phoenix,
including several along Arizona 51, feature SPUIs. The
next exit along northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon
Freeway is Exit 205, Glendale Avenue, three-quarters of
a mile. Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Again note the soundwalls in between interchanges. The
character of the freeway has changed a bit since the section
around Durango Curve and McDowell Road. This is northbound
Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway approaching Exit 205,
Glendale Avenue, one-half mile. Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway at Exit
205, Glendale Avenue, another SPUI interchange. As the
name implies, Glendale Avenue leads west to Glendale,
which is situated at the intersection between U.S. 60/Grand
Avenue, Glendale Avenue, and 59th Avenue. Photo taken
March 3, 2007.
The next exit along northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon
Freeway is Exit 206, Northern Avenue. Northern Avenue
heads east to meet Arizona 51 near Piestewa (Squaw) Peak,
and it heads west through Glendale toward the White Tank
Mountain Regional Park (via Olive Avenue). Photo taken
March 3, 2007.
The addition of a high occupancy vehicle lane makes
for cramped conditions along northbound Interstate 17/Black
Canyon Freeway. The left shoulder is extremely narrow,
similar to many high occupancy vehicle lanes in Southern
California. The next exit is Exit 206, Northern Avenue,
one-half mile. Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Mileage sign along northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon
Freeway for Exit 206, Northern Avenue; Exit 107, Dunlap
Avenue; and Exit 208, Peoria Avenue. Photo taken March
3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway at Exit
206, Northern Avenue, another SPUI. Photo taken March
3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway approaching
Exit 207, Dunlap Avenue, as seen from the Northern Avenue
overpass. Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway approaching
Exit 207, Dunlap Avenue, one-half mile. Photo taken March
3, 2007.
Mileage sign along northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon
Freeway approaching Exit 207, Dunlap Avenue, one-quarter
mile. Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway at Exit
207, Dunlap Avenue, a SPUI. Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway approaching
Exit 208, Peoria Avenue, three-quarters of a mile. Photo
taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway picks
up these power lines on its east side after the Dunlap
Avenue exit, and they remain with Interstate 17 until
the Loop 101 interchange. The next exit is for Exit 208,
Peoria Avenue, one-quarter mile. Photo taken March 3,
2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway at Exit
208, Peoria Avenue. Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway begins to widen out
a bit as it passes Peoria Avenue and approaches Exit 209,
Cactus Road. Note that the left shoulder is a bit wider
than it was previously. Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway at Exit
209, Cactus Road. Photo taken 05/23/03.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway approaching
Exit 210, Thunderbird Road, three-quarters of a mile.
Note that the spacing between interchanges is a bit greater
than it was between Exits 201 and 208 because the three-quarters
of a mile advance sign is on its own sign bridge rather
than the overpass. First photo taken 05/23/03, second
photo taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway at Exit
210, Thunderbird Road. The Thunderbird Road interchange
was rebuilt in 2004-5 to eliminate the original 1965 loop
interchange. First photo of exit 210A (former eastbound
Thunderbird Road exit) taken 05/23/03, second photo (of
current interchange) taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway at former
Exit 210B, Westbound Thunderbird Road. This exit is now
eliminated. Photo taken 05/23/03.
The next exit along northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon
Freeway is for Exit 211, Greenway Road, one-half mile.
Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Mileage sign along northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon
Freeway approaching Greenway Road, Bell Road, and Union
Hills Drive, each spaced one mile apart. First photo taken
05/23/03, second photo taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway at Exit
211, Greenway Road. Photo taken 05/23/03.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway approaching
Exit 212, Bell Road, one mile. Photo taken 05/23/03.
This is the first sign bridge along northbound Interstate
17/Black Canyon Freeway for Loop 101. Several signs for
Loop 101 still feature the original white on blue shields,
such as this one; newer signs (such as the second) show
the black on white shields. This sign bridge is located
on the approach to Exit 212, Bell Road. First photo taken
05/23/03, second photo taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway at Exit
212, Bell Road. The next exit is Union Hills Drive (Exit
214). Note that there is no Exit 213, thus ending the
one-mile spacing of exits along northbound. First photo
taken 05/23/03, second photo taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway approaching
Exit 214A-B, Union Hills Drive/Yorkshire Drive, one-half
mile. First photo taken 05/23/03, second photo taken March
3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway approaching
Exit 214A-B, Union Hills Drive/Yorkshire Drive, next right.
Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway at Exit
214A, Union Hills Drive. The next exits are Exit 214B,
Yorkshire Drive and Exit 214C, Junction Loop 101. First
photo taken 05/23/03, second photo taken March 3, 2007.
Signage for the exit to Yorkshire Drive (Exit 214B)
as seen from the main lanes along northbound Interstate
17/Black Canyon Freeway. In the meantime, the right lanes
are for Loop 101, while the left lanes are for Interstate
17. Note that the high occupancy lanes will end at Loop
101. First photo taken 05/23/03, second photo taken March
3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17/Black Canyon Freeway approaching
Junction Loop 101. This section of the Loop 101 freeway
was completed in 2002 and now provides a bypass of Phoenix
for almost 270 degrees. First photo taken 05/23/03, second
photo taken March 3, 2007.
One of the more common themes with newer freeways in
Arizona (and Southern California) is the removal of control
cities. This sign, located along northbound Interstate
17/Black Canyon Freeway at Exit 214C/Loop 101, omits potential
control cities for eastbound such as Scottsdale and westbound
such as Peoria and Glendale. First photo taken 05/23/03,
second photo taken March 3, 2007.
After the Loop 101 exit, the next exit along northbound
Interstate 17 is Rose Garden Lane, one-half mile (Exit
215A). Note the Loop 101 stack interchange in the distance.
First photo taken 05/23/03, second photo taken March 3,
2007.
Northbound Interstate 17 passes under the massive Loop
101/Interstate 17 stack interchange prior to Exit 215A.
Photo taken 05/23/03.
Northbound Interstate 17 at Exit 215A, Rose Garden Lane;
the next exit is Exit 215B, Deer Valley Road. The high
occupancy vehicle lane ends here, and the northbound freeway
is now only two lanes wide. However, the transition ramp
from Loop 101 has not merged with northbound Interstate
17 yet. First photo (with exit number error) taken 05/23/03,
second photo taken March 3, 2007.
Development is much more sparse north of Loop 101. Even
after traffic merges onto northbound Interstate 17, the
freeway remains only two lanes along northbound, albeit
heavily congested due to the Anthem development north
of Phoenix. This section of freeway is slated for widening
in the future. This picture shows the exit for Exit 215B,
Deer Valley Road, although in past years this was mis-signed
as exit 217B. First photo taken 05/25/03, second photo
taken March 3, 2007.
Advance signage for Pinnacle Peak Road, exit 217. Photo
taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17 approaching Exit 217, Pinnacle
Peak Road and exit 218, Happy Valley Road. Photo taken
March 3, 2007.
Pinnacle Peak Road departs here as exit 217, from Interstate
17. Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Advance signage for exit 218, Happy Valley Road. Photo
taken March 3, 2007.
Happy Valley Road departs here, as exit 218. This exit
features a number of new (constructed in 2006) stores
as part of the rapid urbanization of north Phoenix. Between
Happy Valley Road and Arizona 74 is an accident-prone
5 mile stretch of freeway with no exits, however a future
exit to Loop 303 is planned. Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Use exit 223, Arizona 74, to reach Lake Pleasant and
the Ben Avery Shooting Range. Lake Pleasant is a small
reservoir in north Phoenix. Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17 approaching Exit 223, Junction
Westbound Arizona 74. Arizona 74 leads west from here
to meet U.S. 60 near Morristown, northwest of Peoria.
Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Finding its second interchange with a state route, northbound
Interstate 17 meets Arizona 74/Carefree Highway at Exit
223. Some maps (such as the 2004 Mapquest) label this
as "Temporary Arizona 74." The original temporary alignment
of Arizona 74 has been realigned into a permanent one
by Arizona DOT. Photo taken March 3, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17 approaching Exit 225, Pioneer
Road, one and one-quarter miles. Around Milepost 224,
Interstate 17 leaves the city of Phoenix, some 30 miles
north of its southern terminus near downtown and the airport.
Photo taken June 22, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17 at Exit 225, Pioneer Road.
Photo taken June 22, 2007.
Advance signage for exit 227, Daisy Mountain Drive.
This exit was built in 2004 by Del Webb corporation, developers
of the Anthem development (see the next exit) to provide
access to the southern half of the Anthem development.
Photo taken June 22, 2007.
Distance sign to New River, Black Canyon City and Flagstaff.
Photo taken June 22, 2007.
Exit 227 departs here for Daisy Mountain Drive. Between
this exit and exit 229 (below), there used to be a rest
area that has long since closed. Photo taken June 22,
2007.
Advance signage for exit 229, Anthem Way. While this
exit has existed for a while, the road was renamed Anthem
Way to correspond with the housing developments at Anthem.
Photo taken June 22, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17 at Exit 229, Anthem Way. Photo
taken June 22, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17 approaching Exit 232, New River,
one mile. The freeway has left the developed areas around
Phoenix and is now entering a more rural portion of Maricopa
County. Photo taken June 22, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17 approaching Exit 232, New River,
one-half mile. Photo taken June 22, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17 at Exit 232, New River. Photo
taken June 22, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17 approaching Exit 236, Table Mesa Road, one mile. Photo taken June 22, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17 at Exit 236, Table Mesa Road. Photo taken June 22, 2007.
This suite of photos chronicles the scenery of Interstate 17 as it travels northbound between Exits 236 and 242. The large powerlines form part of the western power network, and they connect the population centers in the southwest with the power generation stations associated with the hydroelectric and fossil fuel facilities in northern Arizona. Photo taken June 22, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17 approaching Exit 242, Junction Northbound Business Loop I-17/Black Canyon City, one mile. This is the only business route for Interstate 17. Photos taken June 22, 2007.
Business Loop I-17 features a full array of services in Black Canyon City. Photo taken June 22, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17 approaching Exit 242, Junction Northbound Business Loop I-17, one-half mile. Photo taken June 22, 2007.
Just before reaching the exit for Business Loop I-17/Black Canyon City, northbound Interstate 17 leaves Maricopa County and enters Yavapai County. Photo taken June 22, 2007.
Northbound Interstate 17 at Exit 242, Junction Northbound Business Loop I-17/Black Canyon City. Photo taken June 22, 2007.
