A section of Highway 401 east of London will be closed for 16 hours starting Saturday night.
The closure is to allow crews to demolish the Dorchester Road Bridge which goes over the busy highway. All eastbound and westbound lanes will be closed from 6 p.m. Saturday until 10 a.m. Sunday.
Traffic from the 401 will be detoured off and back onto the highway at the Dorchester Road interchange, according to the Ministry of Transportation (MTO).
While the closure is being done overnight when traffic volumes are generally at their lowest, drivers are still being told to expect "major traffic delays."
Dorchester Road at the 401 has been closed since the start of the month as crews completed preparation work for the demolition of the bridge. It will remain closed for seven months, the MTO said. Detour signage has been erected to route drivers along Elgin Road, Hamilton Road, and Cromarty Drive to access Dorchester Road north. Drivers are also expected to use Elgin Road or Westchester Bourneas alternate routes over the highway.
The Dorchester Road Bridge is being replaced with a new four lane bridge and reconfigured interchange design that allows for potential future additional ramps and highway expansion. Additional overnight closures are expected this summer when girders are being put in place. The eastbound on and off ramps will be closed between July and October.
Construction of the new bridge is expected to be completed by June 2025.
Additional information about the work can be found here.