{"slug": "waymo-resumes-freeway-operations-after-construction-zone-setback", "title": "Waymo Resumes Freeway Operations After Construction Zone Setback", "summary": "Waymo has partially resumed its freeway service in Phoenix after halting it in May due to a software bug that caused its autonomous vehicles to drive into closed construction zones at speed. The Alphabet-owned company recorded six such incidents in Phoenix in April and seven in San Francisco in May, leading to a software recall in June. Waymo says freeway rides will return soon to other cities including the San Francisco Bay Area, Miami, and Los Angeles.", "body_md": "Waymo has partially resumed its freeway service after halting it to fix a software issue that prevented its cars from identifying closed construction zones.\n\nThe resumption kicks off in Phoenix, where interested customers can join a waitlist through the Waymo app. Other cities where freeway rides were previously available, such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Miami, and Los Angeles, will see the service return soon, the company [says](https://support.google.com/waymo/answer/16580405?hl=en#zippy=,how-can-i-get-freeway-access,how-will-i-know-if-i-have-freeway-access,why-did-my-car-detour-off-the-freeway,if-i-have-freeway-access-will-my-rides-always-go-on-the-freeway,how-can-i-provide-feedback-on-freeway-access).\n\n“Freeways are back! We’re gradually resuming freeway routes for faster rides — starting today in Phoenix, with more cities to follow,” Waymo wrote in an [X post](https://x.com/Waymo/status/2082501792001056984?s=20) on Wednesday.\n\nWaymo [launched](/ai/161217/watch-out-uber-drivers-waymo-robotaxis-are-now-allowed-on-highways) highway routing in November. The service was initially available in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, and later expanded to Miami. Problems began cropping up in April, Waymo revealed in a June [filing](https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26E035-7637.pdf) with the NHTSA. The AVs failed to recognize freeway construction zones and drove into them at speed, the company said.\n\nSix such incidents were recorded in Phoenix in April, and seven were recorded in San Francisco the following month. No passengers were harmed, but the Alphabet-owned company [abruptly halted its freeway service](/cars-auto/165237/waymo-halts-freeway-operations-stops-service-in-some-cities-without-clearly-communicating-whats-up) in May and [issued a software recall](/ai/165670/waymo-recalls-3800-robotaxis-to-keep-them-out-of-freeway-construction-zones) to fix the bug in June.\n\nAlthough a recent report found that Waymos [crash 68% less](/ai/166347/how-safe-is-your-waymo-report-finds-they-crash-68-less-than-human-drivers) often than human drivers, they have shown a tendency to freeze when faced with unique, unfamiliar situations, such as crowded [Fourth of July celebrations](/ai/166034/waymo-robotaxis-face-blame-for-san-franciscos-july-4th-traffic-chaos) or a [city-wide blackout](/cars-auto/162197/waymo-robotaxis-froze-slowed-down-traffic-during-san-francisco-blackout).", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/waymo-resumes-freeway-operations-after-construction-zone-setback", "canonical_source": "https://uk.pcmag.com/cars-auto/166462/waymo-resumes-freeway-operations-after-construction-zone-setback", "published_at": "2026-07-30 13:22:13+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-30 13:57:49.394147+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["autonomous-vehicles", "ai-safety", "ai-products"], "entities": ["Waymo", "Alphabet", "NHTSA", "Phoenix", "San Francisco", "Miami", "Los Angeles"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/waymo-resumes-freeway-operations-after-construction-zone-setback", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/waymo-resumes-freeway-operations-after-construction-zone-setback.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/waymo-resumes-freeway-operations-after-construction-zone-setback.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/waymo-resumes-freeway-operations-after-construction-zone-setback.jsonld"}}