VANCOUVER, WA (KPTV) -
A plan to close Interstate Bridge southbound lanes for 40 minutes mid-day Tuesday was scrapped because transportation officials feared it would cause a major traffic backup.
ODOT initially issued an alert saying the bridge lanes would close at 11 a.m., but they soon decided to scrap that plan. The bridge work will be performed at a later time, sometime after rush hour, but officials haven't decided when.
The closure will allow a crane to place a large piece of rebar into a test shaft on the north bank of the Columbia River. The shaft, part of the Columbia River Crossing project, is testing foundation construction methods as part of the planning for a new bridge.
All ramps leading to the bridge will remain open and the I-5 northbound lanes will remain open during the work.
Drivers heading south from Vancouver should consider taking an alternate route ... once the closure is in effect.
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