Reviewed by: Pat Byington
I-65 reopened following Shelby County partial bridge collapse in Calera [PHOTOS]
Reading time: 2 minutes
The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) has reopened I-65 South at Exit 234 in Calera, ending a temporary seven-hour closure following a strike on the CR-87 bridge on Tuesday, August 25. While the major north–south interstate highway has reopened, the soutbound lane of the CR-87 bridge will remained closed for the coming weeks while ALDOT implements emergency repairs.
Read on to learn more about the incident + how the lane closure may affect travel.
ALDOT closed I-65 following a Tuesday morning bridge strike
A little before noon on Tuesday, August 25, a flatbed truck carrying a piece of heavy construction equipment struck the underside of the CR-87 bridge spanning I-65 near the Shelby County Airport. The strike damaged supporting rebar in the span and sent crumbling concrete debris onto the road surface below.
Following the strike, ALDOT closed the CR-87 bridge and the southbound lanes of the interstate to allow crews to remove concrete debris from the roadway and evaluate the bridge’s structural integrity.
While the southbound lanes of I-65 were reopened on Tuesday evening, the southbound lane of the CR-87 bridge will remained closed for the coming weeks pending emergency repairs on the western half of the span. The closure will affect access to the Shelby County Airport for northbound motorists.
As a temporary detour, ALDOT recommends I-65 northbound drivers take Exit 231 in Calera, turn north on US-31, west on CR-22 and north on Smokey Road to the Shelby County Airport. See the map below for details.
During the repair, ALDOT asks motorists to observe work zone and detour speed limits, work zone signs and use caution in the area.
Were you affected by the I-65 closure on Tuesday, August 25? Tag us @bhamnow to let us know!
