Plan to take a detour this weekend as the Alabama Department of Transportation has planned lane closures on one of the city's busiest thoroughfares.

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McFarland Boulevard (US Highway 82) will close in both directions beginning 11 p.m Friday, April 23rd. Closures will remain in place until 5 a.m. Monday, April 26th. Law enforcement will be on hand to direct traffic, and motorists are encouraged to take an alternate route to avoid delays.

The planned closure will allow ALDOT to get a step closer in completing its I 20/59 arch bridge project. Weather permitting, contractors will be painting the crimson arches.

ALDOT's plan for the crimson arch bridge over McFarland Boulevard has seen several setbacks and delays since construction began in 2018. In September of 2020, ALDOT announced the bridge's original metal arch was not up to construction standards and a replacement was required.

The final arches were placed in late January, and contractors have since been working overnight to weld support wiring onto the bridge.

ALDOT has said that the arches are a vital component of the new bridge's structure, as they will allow the contractor to remove the underneath supports. The bridge project is expected to be finished this summer.

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