Interstate 75 southbound lanes reopen after Wednesday crash, police say

All lanes of southbound Interstate 75 in Sarasota County were closed Wednesday afternoon due to a crash that damaged an overpass south of the Bee Ridge Road exit, according to Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. The lanes reopened around 4:30 Thursday morning.

Late Wednesday, officials announced that one lane of southbound I-75 had opened and were initially expecting that repairs could have taken several nights. Authorities did not indicate whether repairs would be ongoing nor did they update the status of the damage to the overpass, but did announce the lanes had reopened.

The accident occurred on Wednesday afternoon south of Bee Ridge Road. Traffic was directed off of I-75 at the Bee Ridge Road exit.

The east and westbound lanes of the Proctor Road overpass were also closed, as the overpass was damaged in the accident, according to the sheriff’s office. Officials said the overpass had been reopened, except for the westbound shoulder until repairs are completed.

Interstate traffic is congested in the area, and motorists are advised to seek an alternate route.

This story was originally published November 13, 2019 at 5:32 PM.