Bell Street Bridge On I-40 Coming Down Friday Night

Traveling down I-40 these days is about as delicate as a trip to the dentist.  Get ready for more bridgework.

Not to overstate the obvious but the stretch of I-40 through Amarillo is undergoing major renovations.  This includes demolishing and rebuilding almost every bridge this year.  Most of the bridges are over 50 years old, built when the interstate first came through the area.  Next up the face the wrecking ball is the Bell street bridge.  It's coming down tonight.

I-40 at Bell will close tonight at 7 and will be closed throughout the weekend.  Traffic will be detoured to the frontage roads.  When the interstate reopens on Monday there will only be one lane open in each direction.  Calling this a bottleneck for traffic is a gross understatement.

It is hoped the bridge will be completed with all lanes open by the end of November.  Of course by then there will be new bottlenecks of construction on I-40 to contend with but progress is seldom painless.

Drivers are urged to avoid the area if possible and if traveling on I-40 is necessary allow for more time, be patient, and slow down.