Important road closures for drivers in Tuscaloosa County

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - With Alabama having three more home games left this year , some really important travel news for you. As we reported on Friday, ALDOT plans to shut down part of the I-20/59 westbound center and right lanes as you approach Tuscaloosa at exit 86.

We’ll start with the ‘why.’ A truck carrying a large piece of earth-moving equipment struck the overpass of Covered Bridge Road in late September.

Contractors have already shut the Covered Bridge Road overpass to traffic until Friday, Nov. 18. The I-20/59 west lane center and right lanes will be closed starting one week from today until Friday, Nov. 18. Notice the time frame; this will be after the Bama-Mississippi State game and long before the Iron Bowl. ALDOT scheduled these closures by design.

“Alabama has an off week and then they have an away game and then another away game, so we actually won’t be starting the work. The work will be ending the day before Austin Peay comes to town - is the way the schedule is laid out now. We’re trying to push people to take Highway 216 and take U.S. 11 or any other alternate route if they can to possibly avoid that,” said ALDOT spokesman John McWilliams.

John McWilliams says the entire repair job will cost just short of a half-million dollars with the money from the insurance company of the driver responsible.

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