I-80 paving project through Hercules almost done

HERCULES, Calif. - Monday is the final day of the Interstate 80 closure. 

A stretch of the highway near Hercules has been closed on and off for four weekends over the summer, but the project is nearing the end.

The project is scheduled to finish on Tuesday. 

Detours have taken drivers onto I-780 in Vallejo, past Benicia and then onto I-680 towards Concord. YDrivers can then re-enter I-80 at Highway 4.

"We've been spot paving for over 30 years," said Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney. "So what we’re doing in one fell swoop is completely replacing that area so we don’t have to go back for 40 years." 

This weekend is the first time in its 20-year history that the Carqunez Bridge has been closed. 

The real name of the bridge is the Alfred Zampa Memoril Bridge, named after an ironworker who worked on multiple bridges in the Bay Area. He actually fell off the Golden Gate Bridge and was in the hospital for weeks, but came back to continue his work. 

While the bridge has been closed, Caltrans has also been able to fix some of the lighting, too.