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Damaged Interstate 75 Lanes At Ellenton To Reopen Monday

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Sarasota Herald-Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 19, 2008

ELLENTON - Southbound Interstate 75 lanes over U.S. 301 should open Monday instead of July 20, the state said Wednesday. Lane markings and other finishing work should be completed by July.

A combination of good weather, fast action by construction crews and a $300,000 early-completion bonus offered by the state sped the project along and on Wednesday led the Florida Department of Transportation to revise its schedule for completion of the project.

The $1.7 million project was originally planned to take six weeks to complete, but now looks like it will be finished in about three weeks.

"Our priority as an agency is to have the roadways working as they should," DOT spokeswoman Cindy Clemmons-Adente said.

The interstate bridge over U.S. 301 in Ellenton became unstable June 4 after a tanker fell from it and exploded in a fireball on the road below.

Northbound I-75 could be re-sorted to three lanes and U.S. 301 could have two northbound and southbound lanes open by the middle of next week, the state said. The entrance ramp for southbound I-75 at U.S. 301 is on track to open Wednesday.

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