I-75 ramps at Newberry Road to be closed at night for starting Sunday

October 28, 2011

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Interstate 75 entrance and exit ramps at Newberry Road are scheduled to close overnight for resurfacing beginning this Sunday night, and traffic will be detoured to either Archer Road or Northwest 39th Avenue, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.

The southbound on and off ramps and the northbound on ramp will be closed on separate nights between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Each ramp will take two nights to complete.

The tentative schedule for each ramp is:

• I-75 southbound entrance ramp closed Sunday and Monday nights (Oct. 30 and 31).

• I-75 southbound exit ramp closed Tuesday and Wednesday nights (Nov. 1 and 2).

• I-75 northbound entrance ramp closed Thursday and Sunday nights (Nov. 3 and 6).

Work will not be allowed the weekend of Nov. 5-6 because of the increase in traffic expected for the University of Florida homecoming.

During the ramp closure, each ramp will be milled (top layers of asphalt removed) and resurfaced. This work will require the ramps to be completely closed for two nights each, weather permitting. The contractor must complete one ramp before work can begin on the next ramp.

Work on this project began in April and should be complete in summer 2012. In addition to resurfacing the ramps, two additional lanes are being constructed at the northbound exit ramp onto Newberry Road.

Daytime work with possible lane closures will continue on the northbound exit ramp and that ramp will be resurfaced after the new lanes have been constructed.

The additional turn lanes on the exit ramp will increase safety for motorists exiting I-75, which is especially critical during early morning and afternoon commute hours and during special events, such as University of Florida home football games and the holiday shopping season. The other ramps are being resurfaced due to wear and tear of the existing asphalt.

FDOT hired D.A.B. Constructors, Inc., of Inglis, to reconstruct the ramps for $2.2 million. Approximately 8,900 vehicles exit northbound I-75 onto Newberry Road each day to join another 50,000 vehicles already traveling on Newberry Road.

For additional information regarding this project or other FDOT projects around Northeast Florida, visit www.nflroads.com.