By MOLLIE BROWN/For the Reporter

CALERA — Exit 228 northbound to I-65 in Calera will be closed for six to eight weeks beginning Monday, April 22, said Calera Police Chief Sean Lemley.

The closing does not affect the southbound exit, Lemley said.

Last fall, ALDOT began construction on the I-65 exit 228 northbound onramp extension. Construction has progressed rapidly on the project, scheduled to be completed in November 2013. Reconstruction of the bridge just north of the exit has been the major issue of the project. Half of the bridge is complete and ready for the onramp to be tied in.

Lemley said in light of the safety concerns of the exit, it’s an inconvenience that we need and we will have to suffer a little to get through it. It will require the community and emergency personnel to adapt alternate routes. He asks residents who use this exit to access I-65 to begin preparing now for the change.

“Commuters should decide an alternate route before Monday morning gets here. There are a couple of options — one is to use exit 231. The other, the one I will use most, is the Shelby County Airport exit 234. The quickest route to that exit is to take County Road 16 to County Road 12, take a right on 22, then a quick left back on 12.”

Lemley does not foresee any problems with flow of traffic other than the inconvenience of the already congested morning traffic at exit 231. Commuters should be prepared for longer waits or start their commute a little earlier during this time.

A message sign of the closing will be in place before the ramp is closed. Detour signs will be placed to direct traffic through Calera to exit 231. When the onramp reopens traffic will be directed over the new portion of the bridge while the other half is constructed.