High Street Closed at 880 Thursday Night

High Street will be closed under Interstate 880 Thursday night for construction.

The closure will start at Thursday at 8 p.m. and end Friday at 5 a.m. Crews are working to build a new I-880 bridge over High Street, part of the ongoing Interstate 880 High Street Seismic Retrofit Project.

"High Street will be closed under 880, from Oakport Street right next to the Shell, and to the other side, which is Coliseum Way," said Caltrans spokesman Matt Robinson. 

Crews will be building a temporary brace so they can begin to construct the new bridge, Robinson said.

"So if you’re coming east on High Street and coming toward 880 you'll be able to go south, but you can't go north," Robinson said.  To go north on 880, drivers leaving Alameda are best off taking the Fruitvale Bridge, says Robinson, though if they come across High Street they will still be able to loop back on Alameda Avenue by Home Depot.

The upgrade of the on-ramp and High Street area is part of the larger I-880 Corridor Improvement Project, which involves widening and resurfacing the roadway from Fifth Avenue in Oakland to south of High Street. 

"Basically, until about 2013, anyone who travels between High and Fifth Avenue on 880 will be experiencing a lot of change in the roadway," said Robinson.

A second nighttime closure may be necessary Friday, May 13, to Saturday, May 14, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., Robinson said, depending on whether the crew is able to complete the work in one night. 

"We are appreciative of the public during this construction," said Robinson. "It’s going to make the whole area smoother, stronger and safer."

Details on the construction detours:

1. Eastbound High Street: High Street traffic will be directed onto Alameda Avenue to Fruitvale Avenue heading east, then to International Boulevard (E. 14th Street) heading south to return to High Street.

2. Westbound High Street: High Street traffic will be directed onto International Boulevard (E. 14th Street) to Fruitvale Avenue heading west, then to Alameda Avenue heading south to return to High Street.

3. Drivers exiting southbound 880 at High Street can either turn left onto 42nd Avenue and then turn onto International Boulevard (E. 14th Street) heading south to High Street or, if they miss the turn, they can follow the eastbound High Street detour.

For more information on the I-880 Corridor Improvement Project, visit the Caltrans site about the project here, or follow them on Twitter.