The Missouri Department of Transportation will close both lanes of northbound I-55 from Hwy. 67 south of Festus to McNutt Street in Herculaneum starting at 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26, to shift traffic onto the median bypass, the department announced today, Sept. 25.
One lane will reopen at 5 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, and the other will reopen at 7 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, when northbound I-55 traffic will be fully shifted onto the median pavement, according to the statement.
MoDOT further stated that the entrance ramps of northbound I-55 from Hwy. A and from the I-55-Hwy. 61-67 interchange will close starting at 9 p.m. Friday and will remain closed until 7 a.m. Saturday.
Signs will detour drivers on northbound I-55 to exit at the I-55-Hwy. 61-67 interchange to use Hwy. 61-67 to bypass the closed section of I-55 and to reenter northbound I-55 at the I-55-McNutt Street interchange.
Moving northbound I-55 traffic onto the median pavement allows crews to demolish existing northbound I-55 pavement and I-55 bridges over Hwy. 67, Third Street and Central Avenue, MoDOT said.
All work is weather permitting.
The purpose of the overall project is to address traffic and safety concerns along the I-55 corridor and account for future development and growth patterns in the region, according to the MoDOT website.
The new median lanes and demolition of the old pavement and bridge are part of an estimated $246 million I-55 Corridor Improvements project that runs from just north of Pevely to just south of Festus.
For additional information about current and upcoming detours and project status, visit the I-55 Corridor Improvement project at modot.org.
For traffic and travel information, visit MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map at traveler.modot.org/map/.