Paving improvement work on I-81, I-70 and U.S. 522 to start Sunday

Motorists on Interstates 81 and 70 in Washington County can expect single-lane closures for repaving work starting Sunday, according to the Maryland State Highway Administration.

The state also is closing southbound U.S. 522 at Limestone Road in Hancock at night for a week to expedite improvements to the highway's driving surface, according to a state highway news release.

Contractor C. William Hetzer, of Hagerstown, is doing the paving improvement work for the state. There will be various signs, cones, barrels and arrow boards to guide motorists.

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The various pavement improvement projects are expected to be complete by Dec. 23, if weather allows.

The contractor will improve pavement on I-81 between the Pennsylvania state line and I-70 starting Sunday. Drivers can expect occasional single-lane closures from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays.

Drivers on I-70 also can expect single-lane closures between the Pennsylvania state line and the Frederick County, Md., line starting Sunday.

The periodic I-70 lane closures west of Md. 63 (Greencastle Pike west of Hagerstown) are anticipated between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. weekdays.

The periodic lane closures on I-70 east of Md. 63 are anticipated to occur between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays.

The temporary U.S. 522 closure will be from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting around Sunday. The closure is expected to be lifted on Dec. 10 if weather allows.

The detour the state is setting up for southbound U.S. 522 reroutes traffic to Limestone Road, then Md. 144 (Main Street), and then Blue Hill Road before returning to U.S. 522, the release states.

That puts drivers back on southbound U.S. 522 before the bridge south into West Virginia.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Maryland DOT starting paving improvements on I-81, I-70 and U.S. 522