Bell Road at Grand Avenue in Surprise will be closed for several months.
In the two weeks before Bell Road closed on April 1, there were a total of eight accidents near the intersection at Grand. Three days after Bell closed, Surprise police reported nine collisions.
All occurred on or near the three-mile Bell detour around the intersection at Grand. Six happened over the weekend, and three on Monday morning.
The fatality was a motorcyclist struck by an unlicensed 16-year-old driver.
Sergeant Norm Owens with the Surprise police department said it has put extra officers around the route to address traffic issues.
“I believe this is a typical occurrence as people become more familiar with the new route, and the Surprise police are continuing to monitor the area,” he said.
The closure is for a $41.9 million-Arizona Department of Transportation project to build an overpass and reduce traffic congestion.
