Full closure of portion of westbound I-55/70 planned for the weekend

Motorists won’t be able to travel south on a portion of Interstate 70 this coming weekend, the Illinois Department of Transportation said.

IDOT plans to close westbound I-70 from the I-270/70/55 interchange near Troy to Black Lane near Collinsville starting 7 p.m. Friday in order to repave the roughly 10-mile stretch of highway, weather permitting.

The highway is expected to reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, IDOT said.

IDOT encourages drivers to use the posted detour throughout the weekend closure and warned that increase traffic on the detour route and other alternate routes in the area is expected.

The detour will take drivers west on I-270 to southbound I-255 where the route will connect with westbound I-64 and back to I-55/70.

Eastbound I-270 and westbound I-70 traffic will not have access to I-55/70 southbound/westbound at the I-270/70/55 interchange, IDOT said.

Southbound I-55 motorists will have access to eastbound I-70. Only local traffic will have access to Illinois Route 162 and U.S. Route 40 via southbound I-55, IDOT said.

This story was originally published August 5, 2019 at 12:28 PM.