YORK COUNTY, S.C. — If you commute to Charlotte for work, to catch a flight, or just to visit, you will have to allow more time for the drive beginning Thursday, May 6.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) will be closing all of the southbound lanes of I-77 at the Catawba River to make extensive repairs to the bridge. Work will begin at 9 a.m. May 6 and, weather permitting, run 24 hours a day through May 24.
Southbound traffic on I-77 will be diverted to lanes on the northbound side of I-77 during the project.
An alternate route for southbound traffic on I-77 in Charlotte would be to take Exit 83, Sutton Road, head south crossing I-77 and then take the southbound Exit 2 on to US21 (Cherry Road). Motorists can rejoin southbound traffic on I-77 in Rock Hill.
The I-77 bridge over the Catawba River was constructed in 1973. Repairs have been made during the past decade -- it was widened in 2000 -- yet the bridge deck clearly shows signs of deterioration.
