Portion Of Ramsey Street To Be Closed For Construction

Mary Hill knows just how to describe the road she travels every day.

"It's pretty much a main highway. You take it from here to the mall or library. It's a main road to go anywhere you need to go," she says.

More than 30,000 cars travel Ramsey Street everyday. For several days, drivers have seen message boards with an important warning. Their popular route will be closed starting Friday morning after rush hour.

TheState Department of Transportation(DOT) is starting work to add a turn lane onto the MLK Freeway. The railroad tracks will also be replaced.

"It's going to be tight through here so avoid it if you can," says Ron Pompey, DOT resident engineer.

Six lanes will narrow down to just one. Motorists will not be able to access the Freeway heading south, and you will not be able to get to the Department of Social Services (DSS) from Ramsey Street. You will have to use the entrance on Hillsboro Street instead.

Construction was scheduled for this time on purpose. Crews will do a lot of the work over the weekend. With the MLK holiday on Monday, less people will be heading to work. The DSS building will also be closed.

No time is a good time for a handful of businesses smack in the middle of the detour. They are afraid business may be a wash.

"We ain't going to get much business on those days," says car wash employee Antoine McClennaham.

DOT hopes to have the work completed by Tuesday, January 16. If construction goes as planned, workers hope to open two inbound lanes and one lane of outgoing traffic on Sunday. Traffic is still expected to be backed up, and motorists are urged to take an alternate route.