In The News
Officials warn of construction delays in Ohio, Missouri
Truckers traveling in Ohio and Missouri will be facing construction delays this weekend and into the summer, officials in those two states have revealed.
In Ohio, work on an interstate tunnel overhaul project and construction of Cincinnati's streetcar system will mean downtown road closures this weekend in the southwest Ohio city.
Southbound Interstate 71 is closing at 9 p.m. Friday at the Lytle Tunnel near the Ohio River for bridge work. It's scheduled to reopen at 6 a.m. Monday. The Third Street exit south will also close.
Meanwhile, Third Street will be closed nearby during the same time for streetcar line construction.
The Ohio Department of Transportation says the project lasting into 2017 will improve safety for tunnel traffic. It carries I-71 under Lytle Park and Fourth and Fifth streets.
The $30 million project will upgrade and modernize a tunnel that opened to traffic in 1970, while adding cameras and a fire detection system.
Missouri transportation officials are warning drivers that construction projects will cause delays on Interstate 70 between Kansas City and St. Louis this summer.
The state is encouraging drivers to avoid using the interstate at peak travel times on Friday and Sunday afternoons. It says delays of up to an hour are possible in some areas.
Alternate routes include U.S. 50 south of the interstate or U.S. 36 to the north.
The Missouri Department of Transportation says the main cause of congestion will be work on bridges over the Blackwater River near Marshall Junction.
Work on the westbound bridge is expected to be finished in mid-August, with the eastbound lane finished in mid-October.
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