Intense road work along the I-24 Ohio River Bridge is expected to cause heavy traffic delays throughout the week.
Road crews from the Illinois Department of Transportation are milling the westbound lanes of the I-24 Bridge between Paducah and Metropolis, Illinois as part of ongoing deck rehabilitation on the bridge.
Milling is the process of removing at least part of the asphalt in order to smoothen the road surface or recycle the pavement.
The milling followed by several days of work including installation of new joints and a deck overlay is likely to cause extended delays for motorists traveling to Illinois.
Halverson Construction is the prime contractor on the $2.1M bridge maintenance project.
IDOT officials advise caution driving through the area as a 55 mph work zone speed limit will be strictly enforced.
IDOT recommends motorists consider using the US 45 Ohio River Bridge between Paducah and Brookport as an alternate route, although most commercial trucks are prohibited due to an 8ft wide clearance.
The work zone restrictions on the east and westbound lanes of I-24 between Illinois mile 38.5 and Kentucky mile point 0 are expected to remain in place until June 15.