The Interstate 77 southbound bridge over the Catawba River in York County is scheduled to be closed for extensive, around-the-clock repairs beginning 9 p.m. May 6, 2021, and ending at 5 a.m. May 24, 2021, barring delays due to weather or unforeseen circumstances.

Work is planned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to expedite the project as much as possible.

During repairs, the southbound I-77 traffic will be diverted to the northbound side of I-77 for approximately a half-mile beginning just north of the Catawba River Bridge. Both northbound and southbound traffic along this section of I-77 will be reduced from 4 lanes to 2 lanes to maintain traffic flow in both directions along this northbound side of the interstate. Temporary concrete barriers will be in place to separate southbound and northbound traffic.

Northbound traffic will be shifted to the two, far right lanes and use the east half of the northbound bridge to cross the Catawba River.
Southbound traffic will cross over the median and use the two lanes on the west half of the northbound interstate to cross the Catawba River. Once past the work zone, the southbound traffic will cross over the median and back to the southbound interstate highway travel lanes as normal.

In addition, the following I-77 ramps will also be closed during construction:

• Southbound I-77 on-ramp from Sutton Road

• Northbound I-77 on-ramp from Cherry Road

• Both Northbound I-77 on-ramps from Celanese Road

• Northbound I-77 on-ramp from the Collector/Distributor along Exit 82

A detour for these ramps will be posted using US 21 and Sutton Road.

Heavy congestion with traffic backups and lengthy delays are expected. Please plan ahead. It is strongly suggested that alternate routes be considered during this closure. If possible, consider teleworking or altering work hours to avoid the morning and evening rush hours in this area.

Motorists may keep up with travel conditions by using SCDOT's 511 system, which provides real-time traffic information on all South Carolina interstate highways. Users can access www.511SC.org 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, call 511 or download the free app.

Built-in the 1970s, the I-77 southbound bridge deck over the Catawba River has shown clear signs of deterioration and has required many repairs during the past decade, often taking several days and impacting traffic. A SCDOT contractor will be able to replace the concrete bridge deck as a more permanent solution by closing traffic for 17 days.

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