The Texas Department of Transportation will temporarily close South Loop 363 from 57th Street to Hopi Trail on Thursday with traffic being diverted onto access roads.

The closures and traffic pattern changes will be between 6 p.m. Thursday and 6 a.m. Friday.

Temple Police Department will assist with traffic control.

Message boards will be installed to alert motorists of upcoming traffic pattern changes and any changes to the proposed schedule, said Ken Roberts, TxDOT public information officer.

The closure is expected to last for the duration of the South Loop construction project and will allow work to continue on the main lanes of South Loop 363 from Fifth to 57th streets as well as the construction of the approaches to the third-level overpass at the I-35 Interchange, Roberts said.

nWestbound South Loop traffic will initially detour to the westbound frontage road just east of 57th Street while the final work on the new frontage road exit ramp is completed.

nEastbound South Loop traffic will be diverted initially to the new frontage road at Hopi Trail and also at the northbound I-35/ South Loop 363 frontage road intersection.

Traffic will then be routed back to the current frontage road and existing Loop travel lane east of 57th Street.

Roberts said new frontage road ramps would open on the west side of 57th Street shortly after traffic is diverted.

He said normal access to businesses should continue.

The work is part of the $27.5 million South Loop 363 project to widen the travel lanes and shoulders, increase frontage roads capacity and add continuous turn lanes to the 31st Street bridge, as well as the $68 million multi-level I-35 interchange project.

TxDOT has estimated a 2009 completion date for the projects.