Drivers should prepare for a traffic shift tonight on U.S. 27 South, weather permitting.
The shift will be part of the U.S. 27 widening project from the I-24/U.S. 27 interchange to north of the Olgiati Bridge over the Tennessee River, including widening the Olgiati Bridge, according to a news release from the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
The southbound lanes will be reduced to two lanes from 4th Street to the I-24 interchange, and southbound on-ramps will be required to yield to the mainline traffic. The speed limit will remain posted at 45 MPH.
Traffic flow will be most affected by the loss of the acceleration/merge areas from the on-ramps at 4th Street and MLK Blvd. During the traffic shift and after its completion, the ramp traffic will include yields instead of merges onto U.S. 27 South due to the shortened ramps.
Motorists should also use caution while driving through the area into the weekend and next week.
From tonight at 7 p.m. through noon tomorrow, July 8, there will be a temporary double right lane closure on U.S. 27 South from north of the Olgiati Bridge to the south end of the project near I-24. This will allow the contractor perform grinding, paving and striping for the next phase of the project.
The southbound traffic lanes will be shifted to the west from 4th Street to MLK Blvd., and the inside "third" lane from 4th Street to I-24 will be closed.
Additionally, each evening between Monday, July 10 and Thursday, July 13 from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning, the left lane will be closed on U.S. 27 South from north of the Olgiati Bridge to the south end of the project for placing concrete traffic barrier for Phase 2. This is the first part of the switch to Phase 2, which is where the contractor will be working in the middle lanes of U.S. 27 in each direction.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol will assist with traffic control during the work, which is weather permitting.
Should rain postpone the work, it will be rescheduled to take place at a later date.