A portion of I-75 to close Tuesday

ALACHUA – Motorists who travel Interstate 75 between Alachua and Gainesville may want to make alternate plans next week, as a portion of Interstate 75 will be closed Tuesday.

According to Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) spokeswoman Gina Busscher, the Alachua/High Springs off-ramp, Exit 399, will be closed because a crew will be working in the area.

A sinkhole that was recently discovered near the exit has been sealed, but there is additional work to be done.

Busscher said survey crews will be drilling to investigate how far down the sinkhole goes. Officials aren’t sure how long the drilling will take, and Busscher said it depends on what is found.

“They’ll push a hole through the ground and see how far they go before they hit rock,” she said. “That tells where the void around the ground fills.”

Busscher estimated the exit would be closed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

She said if traffic starts to back up, officials will do what they can to release the traffic.

Busscher recommends that residents who usually use Exit 399 take Exit 404 at County Road 236, which is five miles north, or Exit 390 at 39th Avenue to US Highway 441.

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