Heads up, Bay Area drivers: if you’re planning a trip that takes you through Bates County, you might want to consider an alternative route. Northbound Interstate 49 is currently down to one lane over Possum Branch at Mile Marker 127, just south of Butler, and it seems this inconvenience is going to stick around for a while. Crews are out there working on some much-needed bridge railing repairs, and there’s no end date in sight just yet.