With favorable weather conditions for paving in this weekend’s forecast, northbound Loop 101 will be closed between Indian Bend Road/Talking Stick Way and Shea Boulevard while crews add a new layer of rubberized asphalt along the freeway.

The Arizona Department of Transportation recommends drivers allow extra travel time and use alternate routes to avoid heavy traffic backups while the following closure is in place:

*Northbound Loop 101 closed between Indian Bend Road/Talking Stick Way and Shea Boulevard from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday (Sept. 12). *Northbound Loop 101 on-ramps at Chaparral Road and McDonald Drive also closed.

*Among the alternate routes for drivers to consider: travel west on Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) and north on State Route 51 (Piestewa Freeway) to reach north Valley destinations. Northbound Interstate 17 is another option for weekend travel plans.

*Northbound Loop 101 traffic exiting at the closure at Indian Bend Road/Talking Stick Way will detour west to northbound Hayden Road and then eastbound Cactus Road to reconnect with Loop 101. However, backups and slow traffic should be expected.

The $73 million Loop 101 Improvement Project is on schedule for completion this fall.