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Alex Cabrero ReportingPresumably, a lot of drivers are going to have to take different routes to get where they need to go this weekend.
All the traffic heading Northbound on I-15 is going onto Riverdale Road, and if you've ever been on Riverdale Road you know it's always busy anyway.
Walk into Dave Gibby's floral shop in Riverdale and you'll find things to make you feel better, things for a big achievement, and things for your loved one. Soon you might also find things to help you smile while sitting in traffic.
Dave Gibby: "It's been horrible ever since they started I-15."
Gibby's shop is just off of Riverdale Road, right near I-15, and with all the construction on the interstate Riverdale Road has become one big stop and go.
Dave Gibby, Gibby Floral: "Every time they close a lane or something like that, then everybody spills out on the surface streets."
That makes delivering flowers on time a little tricky.
Dave Gibby: "Luckily we know all the back roads."
Others should get to know them too. This weekend in Weber County, at night and early morning, I-15 will be totally shutdown. Heading south, it'll detour off at 21st street. Heading North, off at Riverdale Road, same for traffic on I-84.
UDOT says it'll be a mess, but necessary.
Nile Easton, Utah Dept. of Transportation: "When we look at when we can do these things, there is really no good time because, in our growing state, people are driving 24-7 now."
Dave Gibby: "I got a stack of maps here. I stack them here just to help the people who get lost."
As frustrating as it all is, though, even Gibby agrees when the work is done, it'll be worth it.
Dave Gibby: "Thank goodness we got the freeway system. What would happen if we didn't have it? It'd be the pits."
Work being done on the interstate includes new surfaces, new lanes and new bridges.
The closure tonight lasts until 8 tomorrow morning. Then, it closes again at 9pm until 10am. Sunday, it's shut down from 9pm to 5am.
More closures in the future will be necessary as well.
There will also be traffic changes on Hinckley Drive, or 31st street. Traffic will be rerouted to use the new ramps. Expect some abrupt lane changes along I-15 near the 31st street exit. Road crews are widening the road and will shift traffic to the new inside lanes to I-15 while they work on the old part of the road.
There are two other problem areas you need to know about too. In Davis County, starting tonight at 7pm until tomorrow night, traffic on I-15 will narrow to one lane in the Clearfield area for bridge repair. During the same time eastbound on I-215 between State and 20th East will also be down to one lane.
