Drivers traveling through Joliet should prepare for heavy traffic delays beginning this weekend as the Illinois Department of Transportation announced planned lane closures on Interstate 80 for bridge deck repairs and pavement patching.
According to IDOT, the first round of closures is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. Friday, May 29, on westbound I-80 between Richards Street and Wheeler Avenue. The lane restrictions are expected to remain in place through the weekend before reopening by 5 a.m. Monday, June 1.
At least one westbound lane will stay open during the repairs. Eastbound traffic will not be impacted during the first weekend of construction.
Officials said drivers should expect significant congestion in the area and encouraged motorists to consider alternate routes when possible. IDOT also warned that local streets are not designed to handle heavy or oversized truck traffic, recommending truck drivers use other interstate routes instead.
The work is part of ongoing efforts to maintain the aging roadway and bridge structures while larger improvements along the I-80 corridor continue. IDOT said scheduling the repairs over multiple weekends will help reduce the need for sudden emergency closures that have become more common in recent years.
Additional weekend lane closures are expected over the next three weekends, weather permitting. The closures will alternate between westbound and eastbound I-80 from 10 p.m. Fridays through 5 a.m. Mondays. IDOT said more details about future traffic impacts will be released closer to each closure date.
Motorists are encouraged to allow extra travel time and stay alert for changing traffic patterns throughout the construction zone.
