Bridge work on I-95 to cause traffic delays until April

The state Department of Transportation warns drivers that construction will cause severe traffic delays on Interstate 95 south in the Pee Dee region until spring.

The agency says one southbound lane of Interstate 95 over the Great Pee Dee River will be closed starting Thursday through April 5 for bridge repairs. The river separates Dillon and Florence counties.

All oversize trucks, exceeding 11 feet wide, must use the posted detour route, which bypasses 11 miles of interstate.

The Transportation Department is encouraging all southbound I-95 drivers to use either the detour or other alternate routes to avoid severe congestion.

Emergency bridge repairs on the northbound side of I-95 in December 2014 and January 2015 sometimes caused traffic to back up for six miles.

This story was originally published January 2, 2017 at 5:39 PM with the headline "Bridge work on I-95 to cause traffic delays until April."