SCDOT crews to partially close I-77 over Catawba River until Monday

YORK COUNTY, S.C. — Three of four lanes on Interstate 77 will be shut down over the Catawba River this weekend.

South Carolina Department of Transportation crews will close the northbound lanes at 10 a.m. Friday to work on bridge deck repairs.

All entrance ramps on I-77 northbound at exit 82, which is Cherry Road, will be closed. It expected to re-open 4 a.m. Monday.

Channel 9 has reported on holes opening up on I-77 bridges for the past five years. The Department of Transportation said the issue this time is a patch job that didn't hold up.

"A patch that was put in last year is actually coming loose from the bridge deck," said DOT engineer Vic Edwards.

He said the patch should have last five-10 years, but last only one year because 60,000 cars a day travel the Catawba River Bridge and that's just in the northbound lanes. The temporary fix on the bridge is expected to cost $40,000-$50,000 in state money, DOT officials said.

For some drivers, work on I-77 bridges has become an never-ending problem.

"It's frustrating for drivers when it doesn't get fixed, fixed in a more permanent way I think," said one driver.

Alternate routes:

Since the lane closures are scheduled to block I-77 northbound prior to Cherry Road, motorists can get off at Dave Lyle Boulevard and take that to Anderson Road South up to Cherry Road -- or take Anderson Road South to Red River/Celriver Road back to U.S. 21. You can then re-enter the interstate from Sutton Road.

The work from Friday to Monday will keep drivers from getting on I-77 North from Celanese Road. The interchange will shut down, because three lanes of I-77 North will shut down from Cherry Road up to Sutton Road near Fort Mill.

Rock Hill police will monitor traffic back-ups and said drivers need to have patience.

The DOT said delays could be up to 30 minutes, and onlookers will slow down southbound traffic too.

The DOT also said the bridge is safe to travel on now, but they wanted to get the fix done as soon as possible, before holiday travelers nearly double the traffic on the road.

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