This website has an incredible interactive map allowing you to narrow down your concerns and focus on day-to-day changes. Start your use of the map by clicking "None" on the Icon Legend and add Icons one-by-one for "Activity", "Delay", "Road Closure" and other choices. Hauling a trailer? There's even an icon for "High Winds". Once the icons appear on the Arizona map, click on the icon for the highway you plan to travel and voila, a pop-up box will appear and answer all your questions.
ADOT 511 Road Conditions -Telephone Service 888.411.7623 (411-ROAD)
Check road conditions while you drive! This phone service uses Speech Recognition technology to allow you to speak your requests for conditions on any State highway in Arizona. I use it and discovered that it works best to say the name of the highway you want using numbers only. For highways leading to Sedona from Phoenix, say "I - 17", "179",or "89" and skip using the word "Highway". If it makes a mistake just interrupt and say "Main Menu". It will start over and you can quickly say "Roads" to try your "Speech Recognition" again.
If you really, really get into planning your highway trips down to the last detail make sure to include this site. I’ve linked to their Arizona page, however this crazy cool site covers every freeway exit for 12 whole western states! Choose your freeway and receive a colorful scrolling chart listing every exit and accompanied by an aerial photo labeled with all pertinent exit info courtesy of Google maps. Man, oh man.
For all 50 states visit Star Owl’s Highway Heaven: www.ajfroggie.com/triskele
Star Owl links back to Western Exit Guide for Arizona and to other equally impressive sites for the other states.
Visitors unfamiliar with the impending highway construction taking place on
Highway 179, the primary access route leading to Sedona from Interstate 17,
will definitely appreciate this ADOT-sponsored website. The info found here
will help you plan your visit to Sedona, prepare for possible construction delays,
and become aware of alternate routes that avoid the potential construction
melee and inevitable traffic backups. Even in the best of times Hwy 179 can
become congested and slow to a crawl one to two miles before reaching Uptown
and the intersection of Hwy 89A. The day after Thanksgiving usually holds the
record with traffic backing up 5 miles to Bell Rock by mid-day. Be prepared by
using this website’s info and calling ahead to your favorite Sedona business and
asking recommendations. Early 2009 is the estimated date of completion for
State Highway 179. Check here for construction updates, maps, and travel
advisories for the different highway sections and their construction phases.
