Upcoming Westbound Bridge Lane Closure in St. Clair County to Cause Major I-20 Traffic Delays
Travelling back to Birmingham from Atlanta or Anniston on I-20 next week may cause some delays due to a lane closure on the I-20 westbound bridge over the Coosa River in Riverside. The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) has scheduled the closure to start at 9:00AM on Thursday, October 2, 2025. This closure will limit traffic on the bridge in St. Clair County/Talledega line to a single lane for a period of up to seven days.
ALDOT has identified that the bridge requires immediate maintenance work. Serving as a critical transportation route to the Magic City, this specific bridge has seen a ten-fold increase in traffic since its opening in 1963, with up to 10,000 trucks crossing in each direction daily. In addition to the maintenance work scheduled for early October, ALDOT is currently in the process of designing a replacement for the I-20 bridge.
For those seeking to avoid the traffic congestion, ALDOT has provided an alternate route for consideration. Passenger cars and truck loads wider than ten feet are advised to utilize US-78 W at Exit 165 (Honda Drive) as an alternate route to bypass the construction site. Engineers will implement temporary traffic controls at the Honda Drive intersection with US-78 to facilitate uninterrupted left and right turns for northbound vehicles onto US-78. However, traffic from Honda Drive will not be able to cross US-78 in either direction. Additionally, the US-78 bridge over the Coosa River will be converted into a single-lane one-way path, directing travelers efficiently to I-20 WB at Exit 162 in Riverside. This alteration will require I-20 EB drivers accustomed to using the US-78 bridge into Lincoln to use Exit 168 instead.
For individuals looking for real-time traffic updates for I-20 and other routes across Alabama, ALDOT recommends visiting ALGOTraffic.com or downloading the ALGO Traffic app to stay informed. Stay connected and informed about the latest developments by signing up for the free newsletter and following on social media platforms.