Update, 6 p.m. Caltrans now says it will close three lanes of I-80 East in Berkeley on Friday night — not Saturday — to set up concrete barriers needed for repair work following a hit-and-run crash that damaged the Gilman Street overpass this week.
The center and two right lanes of the freeway will close at 9 p.m. Friday, leaving two lanes of travel open. All lanes are slated to reopen Saturday at 5 a.m. and will not close again this weekend, Caltrans said in a 5:30 p.m. traffic advisory.
The agency originally said it would close three lanes of I-80 on Saturday night, but has revised that plan.
On Friday night, workers will place concrete barriers near the Gilman Street overpass to allow for repair work expected to last through September.
“Overnight lane closures on eastbound I-80 and on Gilman will be needed to perform the repairs,” Caltrans said Friday.
Original story: Caltrans will close several eastbound lanes of I-80 at Gilman Street in Berkeley on Saturday night to make repairs related to a hit-and-run collision that damaged a freeway overpass this week.
The closure is slated to run from 9 p.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Sunday, Caltrans has announced, following a similar closure Thursday.
The California Highway Patrol, which is handling the investigation into Wednesday’s hit-and-run collision, said authorities have identified the responsible driver but have not yet made an arrest.
On Thursday night, Caltrans closed three lanes of Interstate 80 at the Gilman Street interchange to install concrete barriers to block off the shoulder and far right lane of the freeway until Monday morning.
“This will take the weight off the damaged bridge area and accommodate work repairing damage caused when an oversized truck hit the overcrossing,” according to a prepared statement.
During Thursday’s lane closure, workers were slated to re-stripe the freeway so there would be five lanes of travel over the weekend while repairs are underway. The exception will be overnight during Saturday’s closure, when there will be just two lanes of travel.
The concrete barriers blocking the shoulder and right lane are set to be removed by Monday at 5 a.m., in time for the morning commute, Caltrans said.
Wednesday’s collision took place at about 10:45 a.m. when the westbound driver of a big rig truck on Gilman Street hit the east side of the overpass near the Tom Bates Regional Sports Complex.
The driver then backed up and fled the area via eastbound Interstate 80, according to preliminary reports.
After the crash, authorities closed Gilman Street below the overpass to assess the damage. The roadway reopened Wednesday at about 9:30 p.m.
One lane of the freeway was also closed during that damage assessment to ensure the safety of workers.
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