Friday, April 21, 2017

I-20 closed for repairs next weekend

The city of Jackson issued the following statement. 


The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) will close the westbound lanes of Interstate 20 in Hinds County April 28 through May 1 to repair the bridge over Valley Street. Repairs are necessary, because the concrete bridge deck was damaged in two trash fires set underneath the bridge.


“We depend on local governments to enforce vagrancy laws, but with everyone experiencing budget challenges, we’re all doing the best we can with what we have,” said MDOT Executive Director Melinda McGrath. “MDOT does not police vagrancy laws underneath bridges across the state, but when damage is done, it is our responsibility to fix it.”

The fires damaged the bridge deck concrete and steel girders underneath the bridge span. The contract for the work was let in February and awarded to Gibson & Associates Inc. for approximately $313,000. MDOT will need to close the entire westbound bridge span to traffic to make the repairs.

“Closing the bridge to traffic for an entire weekend will allow crews to work quickly and efficiently with the federal funding that we have,” McGrath said. “Due to the location of the damage on the bridge span, keeping the bridge open to traffic during repairs would take approximately three months and significantly more funding. This shorter time frame is a better option for the traveling public and will save taxpayer dollars.”

Interstate 20 westbound will close at the Interstate 55 south split (Exit 44), and traffic who miss the recommended detour will be diverted to Interstate 55 southbound at 10 p.m. on Friday, April 28, and will be back open by 6 a.m. on Monday, May 1. Additionally, Interstate 20 westbound on-ramps at State/Gallatin Street, Terry Road and Interstate 55 northbound will be closed. Raymond Road, underneath the bridge, will also be closed.

DETOUR: Motorists wanting to travel west on Interstate 20 are encouraged to take Interstate 55 north to Interstate 220 south to return to Interstate 20 westbound. Motorists who miss the detour can turn around by taking the McDowell Road interchange back to Interstate 55 northbound to Interstate 220 south.

Advanced warning and detour signs will be placed:
·            ahead of all on-ramps to Interstate 20 westbound in the Jackson Metro Area,
·            along Interstate 20 westbound in the Jackson Metro Area,
·            ahead of on-ramps to Interstate 55 southbound north of the closure and Interstate 55 northbound south of the closure in the Jackson Metro Area,
·            along Interstate 55 in the Jackson Metro Area and
·            on all Dynamic Message Boards (DMS) in the Jackson Metro Area.
Crews will follow this process to repair the bridge.
·            Traffic will be shut down on the bridge, and crews will mobilize for repairs. This will take approximately four to six hours.
·            Crews will then saw cut the perimeter of the repair area and remove the damaged bridge deck using hydro demolition or water blasting. This process does not destroy the rebar in the deck like a jackhammer or other alternative methods. This will take approximately 10-12 hours.
·            Crews will chip out by hand a vertical portion of the removed section to even out concrete.
·            Damage to the rebar will be assessed, and any necessary repairs will be made.
·            Temporary wood form for concrete pouring will be applied.
·            Crews will then form and cast the new bridge deck concrete. This is expected to take approximately 24 hours to the point of allowing traffic to return to the bridge.
·            Joints at the repaired area will be resealed. This will take approximately four hours.
·            Crews will demobilize and reopen the bridge to traffic.
Motorists are encouraged to find an alternate route or use the recommended detour. Interstate 20 eastbound traffic WILL NOT be impacted by this closure.

Should this work be delayed due to inclement weather, the alternate dates will be
·         10 p.m. May 56 a.m. May 8
·         10 p.m. May 126 a.m. May 15
·         10 p.m. May 196 a.m. May 22

“We appreciate the patience of the public during this repair to a major travel and freight corridor,” McGrath said. “This repair will occur within the shortest time-frame and most efficient manner to reduce the impact to the traveling public.”

For more information about this project and updates on the weekend closure, visit MDOTTraffic.com, follow MississippiDOT on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and SnapChat.

DETOUR GRAPHIC: http://ow.ly/vqfJ30b3nw1

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Going to be a total gridlock disaster even with the usage of a weekend.

Anonymous said...

Interesting wonder what Rankin County and the Fusion centers are going to do?

Anonymous said...

Good golly @12:26 disaster is putting it mildly. This will be an epic transportation failure.

Picture all the westbound I20 traffic funneling north on I55 to use the far right hand lane one-lane flyover from I55 North to I220 South.

State Street and Ridgewood will be hammered too!

Total epic fail.

Anonymous said...

Good golly @12:26 disaster is putting it mildly. This will be an epic transportation failure.

Everything's relative. Here in Atlanta (8th worst traffic on planet Earth) a big chunk of I-85 is gone for month, thanks to a crack-smoking Democrat arsonist.

Could be worse, Jackistan.

Anonymous said...

Very poorly designed curved section of interstate. A bypass route of I-20 south of the metropolitian would be best. Also I-55 and I-20 should not be a merged section. Horrible planning.

Anonymous said...

12:50 - what does this have to do with the fusion center (and there's only one fusion center in Mississippi)?

Anonymous said...

Where is Dick Hall and his dog? Wait...this is not an election year for Highway Commissioner.

Anonymous said...

12:50, the fusion center has alerted the government to the fact that your aluminum foil headwear may be lost or damaged. Standby for contact, it may come in the form of a black helicopter hovering over your home.

Anonymous said...

Damn folks. Its a detour. Its construction on an interstate. If anybody really thinks this is a disaster, rather than an inconvenience, you obviously havent traveled further away from home than Pelahatchie.

There was a much worse traffic problem a few months ago when the ice storm hit - again it was on a weekend. People got off the interstate in CLinton and drove Hwy 80 and State Street to get to NE Jackson. Know what,,, they made it with no problem, and didn't even have detour signs to help them.

Interstate construction is always inconvenient, but people actually do know how to drive and how to follow directions. The amount of traffic over a weekend is much less than any weekday. Downtown will see an increase, but again there is little traffic on State, Gallitin and others over a weekend.

Maybe its just a slow news day and people feel a need to bitch. Go read the later post about Rudy and his texts - lot more interesting and can keep you occupied.

Everybody that has commented about the looming disaster, how about coming back Monday after the closing and let us know how inconvenient or problematic it really was. Unless, of course, you weren't going to be traveling this route anyway.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of Jackson, JJ has posted a paid political below this post for Tony Yarber. Interesting to see that there are NO white people in the ad, except for the one guy on the utility truck working on a powerline. Other than Lumumba Jr, have never seen an ad that did not at least pretend to represent all races.

Maybe I missed something - could be that some of the people in the ad were wearing body paint.

Anonymous said...

Hey 4:15 I drive the 55 north stretch at quitting time everyday. April 28 is a Friday, May 1 a Monday. You don't know what you are talking about.

4:15 - in favor of the 3rd grade reading gate said...

Hey 5:48. Its 4:15 here. I'll try to stop by Whataburger this weekend and stop in to visit; catch you on your break.

Yes, April 28th is a Friday. May 1 is a Monday. Try reading the press release. The road will be closed at 10:00 pm Friday, and opened at 6 a.m. Monday. That is, the road will be closed once the workday traffic of the Friday is over, and open before the workday traffic starts on Monday. For highway construction work, this is deemed a weekend.

Get it now? If not, ask your manager to help you read it.

Triple With Cheese And Olives.. said...

Anybody who visits Whataburger on a weekend is surely not to be trusted.

Anonymous said...

I don't foresee a problem. Hell, 55 north of The Stack closes down every afternoon for a wreck. Just make an extra sandwich and carry on.

Mr. 2-Bits said...

Hey 4:15...it's Fudruckers not Whataburger....you don't know what you're talking about.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of not knowing what you're talking about, there is no mention of Fudruckers and Whataburger at 4:15. But....carry on Hansen.

Anonymous said...


Chris Hansen --- are you saying there is not a Whataburger on I55 North, or that is not where you are working now when you are driving north on the interstate every afternoon?



"Welcome to Whataburger # 864
I55 & County Line"

Detour Ahead said...

Why not divert I-20 Westbound traffic to the Terry Rd. North exit, take Terry Rd. to Hwy. 80, 80 to Ellis Ave. and then back on to I-20 Westbound at Ellis? Am I missing something here?



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