Construction work to widen Interstate 40 will require overnight lane closures in Faulkner and Pulaski counties starting Thursday, the state Highway and Transportation Department said in a statement.
For two weeks excluding weekend nights, traffic will be reduced to one lane between Palarm Creek, near the Pulaski/Faulkner county line, and the Morgan-Maumelle exit, or between mile markers 137 and 142.
The work had originally been scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday nights, but freezing temperatures prompted a delay in the work, as crews will use a wet saw and runoff from it could create icy interstate conditions.
An I-40 westbound, inside lane will be closed from 8 p.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday, and an eastbound, inside lane will be closed from 7 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Saturday, the Highway Department said.
Traffic on I-40 will be open to two lanes in both directions during the day, the department said.
Crews are installing a temporary concrete wall in preparation for the interstate's widening from two to three lanes for five miles in each direction, highway officials said. The $21.4 million construction project is estimated to finish this summer, highway officials said.
Motorists are asked to be alert and cautious while traveling through work zones.