ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Ill. – From four lanes down to two, it will no doubt be a three-day headache for St. Clair County drivers.
Starting Tuesday morning, IDOT will close the two right lanes along eastbound/northbound Interstate 55/70 from Interstate 64 to Illinois Route 203.
“It affects a lot of people,” Zyah Heidelberg, an East St. Louis driver, said. “People have to get to work and pick up their kids from school.”
Dawond Jackson, who’s all too familiar with traffic in the area, called the three-day closure, “very draining.”
The lanes will be closed while IDOT performs bridge deck maintenance.
Tiffany Smith, a driver who uses that stretch of the interstate for work, is appreciative of the work getting done, as she explained how the interstate’s already taken a toll on her car.
“I have to get repairs on my car because of the highways,” Smith told FOX 2 Monday. “I need a re-alignment right now because of the potholes.”
Safety and caution are being stressed by IDOT district 8 director Joe Monroe, who said there will be an increased police presence.
Heidelberg couldn’t agree more.
“For me and other drivers (safety is important) because of course we want everybody to be safe,” Heidelberg said. “Because if you get into an accident, that could cause a whole bunch of ruckus.”
IDOT expects to finish the work the re-open lanes by Friday afternoon at 3 p.m.
