Construction crews are still pouring concrete as they work to get I-80 back to normal, by September.
"We've got most of our paving done, on the main line, and now we're ready to start the first of the traffic switches," Kathleen Taylor said.
Taylor works with the I-80 Design Build Project and says the first switch will come early Monday morning, as construction crews change the route of some eastbound ramps so they can pave the area where the current ramps are. They include the Keystone on ramp and Virginia Street off ramp.
By Wednesday, the eastbound exit going to north and southbound 395 will shift, along with northbound 395 to the eastbound I-80 on ramp. The Fourth Street off ramp will also be open, but only from Highway 395.
"We're going to switch them a little bit onto the new concrete," Taylor said. "So, they're just going to have a different location where they're exiting and entering the freeway."
During this change, officials want to remind through traffic to stay in the left lane and drivers to slow down, staying below the 55 mile per hour speed limit. The ramp shifts are minor but they will give people less time to merge. So, officials want drivers to be ready when it happens.
"People get in a pattern of driving and then they don't realize a small change that causes accidents," Taylor said. "The last couple of times we've done this, it's nothing to do with the work zone. It's just that it is a work zone and people really need to slow down and pay attention when they're out here."
Overall, crews are happy with the progress they've made on the $72-million project. Especially since paving hadn't even started on the westbound side, at this time, last year.
"The paving has gone so much faster, this year, than it did last year," Taylor said. "We learned some lessons from the westbound side and we've carried it over here."
Some other things you might notice, along that stretch of highway, are some concrete platforms. Starting early next week, decorative sculptures will be installed on them.
Written by Paul Nelson
