A contractor for The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) plans to close the eastbound lanes of Interstate 24 for a traffic shift in the Interstate 24/Purchase Parkway Exit 25 Interchange work zone in MARSHALL County on Friday Night, September 29, 2017.
The eastbound lanes of I-24 will be closed starting at 7 p.m., CDT, Friday night to facilitate construction of connecting points to the new roadway so eastbound traffic can be shifted to the new alignment.
During the temporary night closure, eastbound I-24 traffic will detour along the Purchase Parkway northbound to US 62 at Calvert City, then travel via US 62 eastbound to return to I-24 via the Exit 27 eastbound entry ramp. Traffic congestion and delays are likely
Motorists should be alert for heavy traffic along the detour route during overnight hours Friday. There will be an enhanced police presence in the area.
The contractor expects to shift eastbound traffic to the new alignment sometime prior to 6 a.m., CDT, Saturday morning. Eastbound motorists should be alert for changes in traffic flow this shift will create in the work zone.
While this traffic shift will move eastbound traffic from the temporary diversion to the new alignment, there is still a significant amount of work to complete before other portions of the new interchange can be opened to traffic.
As a reminder, ramp closures within the construction zone remain in place with traffic following marked detours.
This re-routing of I-24 eastbound traffic overnight on Friday into Saturday is part of a larger work zone along I-24 in Marshall County between the 25 and 27 mile marker and along the Purchase Parkway between the 49 and 52 mile marker at the I-24 Exit 25 Interchange. Reconstruction of the Exit 25 interchange is aimed at allowing I-69 to be extended southward along the parkway in the future.
The I-24/Purchase Parkway Exit 25 work zone includes a 55 mile per hour speed limit with an enhanced enforcement presence and double fines for citations. Some of the crossovers and more restricted sections of the parkway in this work zone have a 45 mile per hour work zone speed limit for safety.
Westbound I-24 traffic will continue running on a diversion through this work zone between I-24 Exit 25 and Exit 27.
Jim Smith Contracting of Grand Rivers is the prime contractor on the $37.8 million interchange reconstruction project. The new I-24/I-69 interchange at Calvert City has a target completion date of July 1, 2018.
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