Postponed: Overnight lane closures on I-80 at River Road
Overnight work to install steel support beams has been postponed until further notice.
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The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that as part of ongoing efforts to replace the bridge carrying River Road over Interstate 80, in Shorewood, overnight lane closures, accompanied by 15-minute full expressway traffic stops, are scheduled to take place over four nights beginning, weather permitting, Wednesday, April 24. The closures are necessary to install steel support beams for the new bridge over the interstate.
Wednesday, April 24 and Thursday, April 25
- Eastbound I-80
- Starting at 8 p.m., eastbound I-80 will be reduced to one lane approaching River Road.
- Beginning at 1 a.m. each night, full stops for no longer than 15 minutes at a time will take place.
- All lanes reopen by 5 a.m. each morning.
Monday, April 29 and Tuesday, April 30
- Eastbound I-80
- Starting at 8 p.m., eastbound I-80 will be reduced to one lane approaching River Road.
- Beginning at 1 a.m. each night, full stops for no longer than 15 minutes at a time will take place on eastbound I-80.
- All lanes reopen by 5 a.m. each morning.
- Westbound I-80
- Starting at 9 p.m. westbound I-80 also will be reduced to one lane approaching River Road.
- Beginning at 1 a.m. each night, full stops for no longer than 15 minutes at a time will take place on westbound I-80.
- All lanes reopen by 6 a.m. each morning.
The $6.3 million project, which involves replacing the existing bridge with a new structure to accommodate the widening of I-80, is anticipated to be completed in November.
Motorists should continue to expect lane shifts, overnight lane closures and significant delays and to allow extra time for trips through this area. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the alert for workers and equipment.
The overall I-80 project will redesign and rebuild 16 miles from Ridge Road, in Minooka, to U.S. 30, in Joliet and New Lenox, while adding or extending auxiliary lanes to improve safety and reduce congestion. Interchanges will be rebuilt or improved at Interstate 55, Illinois 7, Center Street, Chicago Street, Richards Street and Briggs Street, with a new flyover ramp linking southbound I-55 to eastbound I-80 to improve traffic flow and safety. More than 30 bridges will be rehabilitated or replaced, including those over the Des Plaines River. The projected $1.3 billion project is anticipated to be substantially complete by the end of 2028, with landscaping, bridge demolition and miscellaneous work extending into 2029.
