Pothole shuts down one lane of eastbound I-80 at Center Street bridge in Joliet until Tuesday morning

The right lane of eastbound Interstate 80 has been shut down along the bridge near Center Street in Joliet, and the lane will remain closed until early Tuesday morning while crews make repairs.

Illinois State Police said troopers responded around 7:15 a.m. on Monday for a large pothole in the bridge deck. CBS Skywatch was over the scene, where crews were working to repair the damage.

The Illinois Department of Transportation said just before 1 p.m. that the lane will remain closed overnight as repair work is completed.

By 5 p.m. Monday, crews had cleaned out the hole, jackhammered out all the broken pavement, and installed new rebar. New concrete now must be poured into the hole and given time to cure before the closed lane can reopen.

If weather permits, IDOT said they expect the repair work to be finished and the lane reopened by 5 a.m. Tuesday, but cautioned it could take more time for the concrete to set and gain sufficient strength to support traffic. 

Meantime, drivers can take a detour off eastbound Interstate 80 at Exit 112, take Illinois Route 47 south to U.S. Route 6 (Grand Army of the Republic Highway), head east to Brandon Road, go north to Meadow Avenue, and back onto I-80 just past the pothole.