Weekend closures on State Route 51

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - Drivers are coping with long detours over the weekend, along State Route 51 through Phoenix.

Over the weekend, a big part of the Piestewa Freeway be closed, on Saturday and Sunday, so that workers can lay down a type of oil coating onto the roadway, to treat the pavement and improve the road.

The pavement needs maintenance to stay smooth and supple, and the oil treatment is designed to do just that. Trucks will spread it over the weekend, on the entire length of the freeway over the weekend.

The oil is being laid on the northbound lanes on Saturday, with the Southbound lanes set for the same treatment on Sunday. The process should add a couple years of life to the road, before it has to be resurfaced.