The Arizona DOT (ADOT) is set to begin work on replacing Virgin River Bridge No. 1 along I-15 with a brand new bridge that will increase safety and help the corridor to continue carrying commerce for decades to come.
According to ADOT, work on the $56 million project is set to begin Monday, Feb. 8. At first, most of the work will occur below the bridge. Later this year, drivers can expect traffic shifts as the bridge is rebuilt first along the northbound lanes and then the southbound lanes. One lane of traffic in each direction will be maintained throughout the project.
Work will include replacing the abutment foundations, piers, and the bridge deck of Bridge No. 1. New pavement, pavement markings, guardrail, and signage are also included in the project. Work is anticipated to be completed by spring of 2024.
“We continue to make progress rehabilitating the I-15 bridges through the Virgin River Gorge,” Audra Merrick, district engineer for ADOT’s Northcentral District, said in a statement. “This latest project will extend the life of the bridge and help commerce to continue flowing through this region.”
Dating back to early 2014, ADOT has conducted a series of rehabilitation projects on the I-15 Virgin River bridges from minor repairs and resurfacing of bridge decks on Bridge No. 2, Bridge No. 3, and Bridge No. 7, to an extensive rehabilitation of Bridge No. 6 that was completed in 2016. Last summer, ADOT completed repairs and deck rehabilitation to Bridge No. 2, Bridge No. 4, and Bridge No. 5.
Arizona’s 29-mile-long portion of I-15 directly connects Nevada and Utah and is a heavily-traveled commercial and economic corridor linking southern California with the Rocky Mountain region.
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SOURCE: Arizona DOT
