Waymo has begun restoring freeway access for its robotaxis, starting with Phoenix, after suspending the feature in May 2026 following incidents in which its self-driving vehicles entered sections of expressway closed for roadworks. The Alphabet-owned company says it will "soon" extend the resumption to Miami, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, marking the return of a service it first opened to the public in November. The move matters because it signals Waymo's confidence in having fixed a safety-relevant software gap before again allowing its cars to operate at higher speeds and in more complex traffic environments.

Waymo said it had "identified an area for improvement regarding performance around freeway construction zones" and paused highway operation to address it. Riders wanting the freeway option must join an "interest list" via the Waymo app and wait for approval, and even approved users may not always be routed onto a motorway, as Waymo can reroute vehicles for known reasons such as heavy traffic or construction. The company says users can check their route and estimated drop-off time before confirming a ride.