Southbound I-77 lanes in York County reopened

Two southbound lanes of Interstate 77 that had been closed during the weekend for repairs were reopened late Sunday morning, according to the S.C. Department of Transportation.

Crews completed the “around-the-clock repairs” on the Catawba River bridge deck just before 11 a.m. Sunday, according to Robert Kudelka, a Department of Transportation spokesman.

Highway crews closed the two right southbound lanes late Friday for the repairs.

This permanent repair is required because of a large hole that formed in the bridge deck on Tuesday, highway officials said in a statement. Maintenance crews were able to temporarily patch the damage Tuesday night and Wednesday until a contractor could make permanent repairs with specialized equipment.

These permanent repairs were performed on 24-hour shifts during the weekend, officials said, adding that permanently repairing the problem now will avoid possible worsening conditions that could disrupt upcoming holiday traffic.

This story was originally published December 13, 2015 at 1:27 PM with the headline "Southbound I-77 lanes in York County reopened."