Westbound lanes of Interstate 80 in Bureau County to close overnight May 8

Westbound lanes of Interstate 80 in Bureau County will close overnight for repairs beginning 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, according to a news release from Illinois Department of Transportation. The closure will be between the Route 40 interchange at Exit 45 and the Route 78 interchange Exit 33. Eastbound lanes will remain open.

The closure and construction work is weather dependent.

A posted detour for westbound I-80 will direct motorists to use Route 40, U.S. 6 and Route 78. Lanes are expected to reopen by 6 a.m. Thursday, May 9.

The work is part of a two-year, $36.8 million construction project on nearly 10 miles of I-80 in Bureau County that began in March. The work will resurface interstate lanes from the Bureau-Henry County line to east of the Route 40 interchange.

Traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction and is running in the westbound lanes as work begins to patch and resurface the eastbound lanes. The project includes repairs to several bridges and culverts in the work zone through late fall 2024. In spring 2025, work will begin in the westbound lanes and traffic will be shifted onto the eastbound lanes. The project is expected to conclude in late fall of 2025.

Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area and be prepared for slow and stopped traffic, according to the IDOT release. To avoid the work area, motorists should consider using alternate routes when feasible. IDOT officials urge drivers to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment.

Over the next six years, IDOT plans to improve more than 3,000 miles of highway and almost 10 million square feet of bridge deck as part of the Rebuild Illinois capital program, which is investing $33.2 billion into all modes of transportation.

For IDOT District 3 updates, follow @IDOTDistrict3 on the social media platform X. Construction details can be viewed on IDOT’s traveler information map at www.GettingAroundIllinois.com.