Interchange construction clogs morning traffic

For a second night, motorists were being detoured off Interstate 10 early Friday morning for overnight freeway construction at the Jefferson Street interchange. Construction crews continued work to build the new Jefferson Street interchange and were working on the freeway lanes below.

Unlike other recent closures, this overnight freeway closure extended well into the Friday morning rush hour with traffic backing up past Washington Street in the eastbound lanes until well after 7:00 a.m.

Traffic was clearing with residual slowing until 7:30 a.m. with at least one collision reported in the backup west of Washington Street.

The freeway’s westbound lanes were shut down at the Jefferson Street exit overnight, and traffic was detouring to Varner Road, then back onto the freeway at Washington Street.

Both Jefferson Street westbound on-ramps were also closed to traffic overnight.

Local representatives attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 17 to celebrate the interchange’s near completion.

There were four nights of complete freeway closures last week at the Jefferson project, along with daytime closures of the eastbound exit ramp and westbound looping on-ramp.

Stay with KESQ News Channel 3 / CBS Local 2 News for traffic updates.