This I-75 on-ramp in Bradenton will close for eight months. Here’s the detour

Starting at 11 p.m. Thursday, transportation officials will close the westbound on-ramp that connects State Road 70 to the southbound lanes of Interstate 75, changing the flow of traffic for approximately eight months.

Instead of taking the SR 70 westbound on-ramp, motorists can access I-75 southbound by making a left turn at the traffic signal and taking the eastbound on-ramp, according to a news release from the Florida Department of Transportation.

The closure is part of an $81 million project to improve a 7-mile stretch of I-75, from north of University Parkway to south of State Road 64. The project began last year and will run into 2021.

As part of the project, the I-75 interchange at State Road 70 is being upgraded to a diamond interchange with a single loop in the northwest quadrant. The project also includes a widening of the interstate, along with the resurfacing of State Road 70, from east of Tara Boulevard to west of Eighth Street.

The resurfacing will include a 6.5-foot buffered bike lane and high-emphasis crosswalks.

For more information, visit www.swflroads.com/i75/sr70.

This story was originally published December 30, 2019 at 11:55 AM.