HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Preparations are underway for a major rehabilitation project on the Interstate 65 Tennessee River Bridges. Nighttime lane closures are anticipated to begin soon, and daytime lane closures could begin in March.
In September, contractor Cekra secured the contract with a low bid of $23,676,961. The project, anticipated to take about 2.5 years, includes cleaning, painting and repairing concrete and structural steel on the 50-year-old bridges between Morgan and Limestone counties.
Cekra is now staging for the project. Lane closures between 6 p.m.-6 a.m. nightly, Sunday evenings through Friday mornings, will be necessary to install rigging.
No daytime lane closures are anticipated until March. Daytime lane closures will be limited to certain work items, 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.
Lane closures will not be necessary for many work items. However, motorists should be aware that shoulder closures, lane shifts and reductions in lane width — conditions that will exist during much of the project — may 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
