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Weekend Work May End I-75 Detours

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By NICOLA M. WHITE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 7, 2008

Updated: 06/07/2008 01:11 am

The good: By rush hour Monday morning, southbound travel on Interstate 75 should be significantly less painful, with those long detours through Bradenton eliminated.

The bad: Even though the highway will be passable, expect delays and construction for at least six more weeks.

That's six weeks of traffic and snail's-pace driving around the area in northern Manatee County where a tanker truck swerved to avoid a vehicle spinning out of control Wednesday afternoon. The tanker went through the bridge guardrail and fell onto U.S. 301, where it exploded in flames.

The damage was so intense one span over I-75 had to be demolished Friday. Another span will be taken down this weekend.

Officials offer the following advice: Be patient.

"We're encouraging drivers to add extra travel time in this area, especially if destinations are time-sensitive," said Debbie Tower, spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation. "We're also encouraging drivers to use caution, be patient and show courtesy to other drivers. That'll keep people moving through the detours and the work zone."
Southbound travelers have been taking a detour via U.S. 41 through Bradenton to avoid the reconstruction work, causing heavy traffic on Bradenton's local roads.

By Monday, officials hope the detour will be over and workers will have built two crossovers in the median of I-75, one north of U.S. 301 and one south of the Manatee River. Drivers in both directions will be routed onto the northbound I-75 bridge.

For the six weeks that bridge handles two-way traffic, the speed limit most likely will be reduced to 45 mph, the DOT said in a release Friday.

Drivers also should expect lane closures and construction crews.

There are no estimates yet about how much the project will cost. Officials will not know the full price until the bridge reconstruction has been completed, Tower said.

The condition of the driver of the tanker truck, Raymond Neumann of Brooksville, was not available Friday. He had previously been reported in critical condition. Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Doug Dodson said the agency had not heard any updates on the driver's condition as of Friday evening.

Reporter Nicola M. White can be reached at (813) 259-7616 or nwhite1@tampatrib.com.

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