(Credit: Ryan Stubbs (Haljackey)) Highway 401 is set to be closed nightly until Friday just east of London.
Westbound and Eastbound lanes of the 401 are set to be closed nightly just outside of Dorchester this week.
The closures will go from 9pm until 5am for four nights lasting until this Friday. The nightly construction is to allow crews to install girders on the new Dorchester Road Bridge.
“We’re well aware of the construction zones within this area and drivers need to be too,” says Media Coordinator with the West Region OPP, Derek Rogers.
“They need to slow down. The speed limit is posted at 80 and they need to be traveling at that speed to keep themselves safe and also to keep workers on the road. People need to respect that.”
He goes on to say that he understands why people may feel impatient during larger bouts of construction such as this, but he wants to make sure the workers themselves are able to drive home at the end of the day too, just like those who are regularly using the highway.
“Obviously there are people working in those zones and they are at risk if people choose to engage in unsafe behavior like speeding or following too closely. That can have a really adverse effect. It can lead to tragedy.”
Work to replace the Dorchester Road Bridge has been ongoing since early spring when the bridge was demolished and cleared from the highway during an overnight closure on April 13. One westbound and one eastbound lane of the highway at the interchange has been blocked off since then in order to allow crews room to work.
The Ministry of Transportation says Eastbound traffic from the 401 will be detoured onto the highway using the Dorchester Road ramps to get on and off, while Westbound traffic will exit the highway at Elgin Road and be routed onto Cromarty Drive to Westchester Bourne where they can then re-enter the highway.
