Local News

I-20 in East Texas to Shut Down for Several Days for Repairs

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Tony Maples Photography

 

If you plan to travel on I-20 this week through Lindale, Texas (about 20 minutes north of downtown Tyler), you might want to rethink your route. NBC DFW reports that crews began fixing a bridge on the interstate on Sunday, but the repairs will take several days to finish up. Officials are expecting a complete closure through Wednesday (at least) this week.

After an 18-wheeler collided with the Farm-to-Market Road 849 bridge last month, the structure has been closed and in need of repairs. Crews are rebuilding the bridge entirely, which is why the construction couldn’t be finished in a weekend.

The Longview News-Journal says that signs will warn drivers of the closure, but the length of delays should not be underestimated. The news quotes Kathi White, TxDOT spokeswoman, as saying, “This is not a typical lane closure because we’re actually shutting down I-20 around the clock for three days and putting traffic on the ramps which could cause major delays. Moving such a high volume of traffic to the ramps will cause lengthy delays. Traffic on all connecting roadways, such as Toll 49, will be impacted as well. Our best suggestion is to avoid I-20 if at all possible.”