I-35 will close in both directions Friday, Saturday nights

There may be major delays on I-35 this weekend.
               
The interstate will be shut down in both directions where it intersects with Oltorf Street beginning at 11p.m.

Friday and will stay that way until 10 a.m. Saturday morning.

It will be open during the day Saturday, but will close again Saturday night at 11 until 10 Sunday morning.

During the closure, traffic will be diverted onto the I-35 frontage road.

Drivers on Oltorf will be rerouted around I-35 to the Woodland or Woodward crossing so that traffic on the frontage road can bypass the traffic light at that intersection.

"So that means anybody driving in South Austin is going to have to plan for pretty significant delays. We will be moving that traffic over to the frontage road to bypass the Oltorf bridge, but do know that it is going to take some time to get through there," said Diann Hodges, spokesperson for TxDOT.

The closures will be in place so that construction crews can demolish the Oltorf bridge. Eventually that bridge will be re-built to accommodate for U-turn lanes in order to decrease congestion in the area.

The Oltorf Street project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2019.

TxDOT suggests drivers try to avoid the construction area Friday and Saturday nights if possible. One route that has been suggested instead is SH 130.

Those unable to avoid the interstate should remember it is an active construction zone. That means stay alert, slow down and don’t drink and drive.