MoDOT has announced plans to begin major construction work on I-55 at Pevely at 8 p.m. Friday, June 19, and also will shift southbound traffic on the roadway to newly constructed median pavement.
The I-55 southbound shift is from north of Hwy. Z to north of the Joachim Creek bridge, MoDOT officials said.
Once the southbound I-55 traffic is shifted off the current bridge, Route Z will close under I-55 and the southbound I-55 bridge over Hwy. Z will be demolished.
MoDOT officials said Hwy. Z will be opened to one lane in each direction no later than 5 a.m. Monday, June 22. Once Hwy. Z is reopened, the southbound I-55 exit ramp to Hwy. Z will close for four months and the Hwy. Z entrance ramp to southbound I-55 will close for five months.
Southbound I-55 will be reduced from three to two lanes from north of Hwy. Z for the remainder of the summer and fall. Drivers should anticipate travel delays on southbound I-55 during that time.
Shifting traffic onto the new median pavement and closing the ramps on the west side of I-55 allows for demolition and reconstruction of the southbound I-55 pavement and the southbound I-55 bridges over BNSF Railroad, Hwy. Z and Union Pacific Railroad, MoDOT official said.
All detours will be signed.
The work is part of an estimated $246 million I-55 Corridor Improvements project that runs from just north of Pevely south to just south of Festus.
For additional information about current and upcoming detours and project status, visit the I-55 Corridor Improvement project website at modot.org.
For traffic and travel information, visit MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map at traveler.modot.org/map/.