Preparations are underway for a major rehabilitation project on the Interstate 65 bridges across the Tennessee River. Nighttime lane closures are anticipated to begin soon, and daytime lane closures could begin in March, the Alabama Department of Transportation said.
Cekra, the contractor, is staging for the project, ALDOT said. Lane closures between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. nightly, Sunday evenings through Friday mornings, will be necessary to install rigging.
The $23 million project is anticipated to take about 2½ years. The work includes cleaning, painting, and repairing concrete and structural steel on the 50-year-old bridges between Morgan and Limestone counties.
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No daytime lane closures are anticipated until March. Daytime lane closures will be limited to certain work, including concrete deck repairs and asphalt widening on the approaches to the bridges. Message boards will advise motorists in advance of lane closures and possible detours.
Motorists should expect shoulder closures, lane shifts, and reductions in lane width — conditions that will exist during much of the project — to slow traffic.
Some things motorists can do to prepare:
- Plan additional travel time
- Use alternate routes
- Check traffic conditions via algotraffic.com or the ALGO Traffic App before traveling
- Follow ALDOT North Region on X @ALDOT_NRegion for project updates
