The State Department of Transportation has canceled plans to close the Richardson Highway tonight at the Ruby Creek bridge project.
The department says in a news release issued this morning that the contractor for the project has found a way to allow vehicles to pass through a stretch of the highway around milepost 235, where a large culvert is being removed as part of the bridge replacement project.
The department had planned to close the road for 12 hours overnight tonight to enable crews to remove the culvert. But department officials say the project contractor, Fairbanks-based Great Northwest, figured out a route for one lane of traffic to pass through the area while the culvert excavation was being done. A pilot car will lead traffic through a detour. The speed limit in that area has been reduced to 10 mph.
Crews were expected to have the culvert removed by noon.
The news release says the new bridge is scheduled to be paved next week, and that the $6 million project is expected to be complete by the end of the month.