Tag Archives: Virgin River Bridge

National association honors Interstate 15 bridge project

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PHOENIX – A national industry group has honored the Arizona Department of Transportation’s $30 million rehabilitation of an Interstate 15 bridge through the rugged Virgin River Gorge in far northwestern Arizona.

The American Public Works Association selected the Virgin Bridge No. 6 improvement, completed last year, as Project of the Year among transportation projects worth between $25 million and $75 million, with ADOT as the managing agency, Pulice-Wadsworth Brothers Joint Venture as primary contractor and Jacobs as primary consultant.

“This award acknowledges the creativity and cooperation that went into making a critically needed improvement to a vital regional economic corridor,” said Dallas Hammit, ADOT state engineer and deputy director for transportation.

Upgrading the 50-year-old bridge was the centerpiece of $50 million in upgrades to the 30 miles of I-15 passing through Arizona, including paving the entire stretch and repairing the decks of three other bridges.

At Virgin River Bridge No. 6, crews replaced girders, decks and railings and widened the roadway. Accomplishing that required 4,000 cubic yards of structural concrete, 3 million pounds of structural steel, 910,000 pounds of reinforcing steel, 4,000 tons of earth moved and 3,600 tons of asphalt.

A $21.6 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant ADOT won for the project in 2014 provided three years for ADOT to complete the design, for the project to receive environmental clearance and for crews to complete the bridge upgrades.

The project’s challenges also included the rugged, remote location. The bridge stands 100 feet above the Virgin River in a narrow canyon, requiring specialized equipment to work in tight spaces. ADOT and its partners also worked closely with agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Arizona State Land Department and Environmental Protection Agency to safeguard the river.

Among other honors, the Virgin River Bridge No. 6 rehabilitation has been named International Partnering Institute Partnered Project of the Year and has received the Marvin M. Black Partnering Excellence Award as part of the Alliant Build America Awards.

ADOT’s current five-year construction program commits $50 million in fiscal 2020 to renovate Virgin River Bridge No. 1 near Littlefield and $5.5 million in fiscal 2019 to rehabilitate other I-15 bridges.

Motorists should be prepared for additional delays on Interstate 15 through Virgin River Gorge

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Construction on a major Interstate 15 reconstruction project on Virgin River Bridge No. 6 (milepost 16) is more than halfway complete. After finishing the northbound section of the bridge this summer, crews are now working to construct the new southbound bridge.

While the roadway will continue to be narrowed to one lane in each direction at this work zone, motorists should be prepared for additional travel delays up to 20 minutes while crews remove loose rocks near the southbound side of the bridge structure from Monday, Oct. 12 through mid-November.

Intermittent traffic breaks will be necessary during work hours, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. For more information on how ADOT uses traffic breaks, please visit the ADOT YouTube webpage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyUcqpQCfig.

This $27 million improvement project includes the replacement of the bridge’s superstructure (girders, deck and railings), as well as widening the roadway through the narrow passage of the gorge. The project is scheduled for completion in 2016.

With limited alternate routes due to the remote location of the I-15 Virgin River Gorge corridor, ADOT urges drivers to plan ahead, allow extra travel time, slow down and drive carefully through the work zone, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

I-15 bridge improvement work progresses along Virgin River Gorge

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virginriverbridgePHOENIX — As progress continues on the reconstruction of Virgin River Bridge No. 6, the Arizona Department of Transportation is urging motorists traveling on Interstate 15 between Mesquite, Nevada, and St. George, Utah, to plan ahead for construction delays up to 20 minutes next week.

Beginning on Monday, Feb. 23, crews will install the girders on the new southbound bridge structure.

This work, which will continue through the end of March, will require intermittent rolling lane closures to allow for the safety of both construction crews and the traveling public. Work hours will be Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to noon.

For more information on the intermittent traffic breaks that will occur, watch the following ADOT YouTube video: http://youtu.be/FyUcqpQCfig.

While one travel lane will remain open in each direction, motorists are reminded to slow down and drive carefully through the work zone and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

The $27 million rehabilitation of Virgin River Bridge No. 6 (milepost 16) began in March 2014, and is anticipated to be complete in 2016. This significant project includes the replacement of the bridge’s superstructure (girders, deck and railings), as well as widening the roadway through the narrow passage of the Virgin River Gorge.

Drivers should allow for up to 15 minutes extra travel time during regular construction activities occurring on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Additional delay time may occur on weekends due to heavier traffic volume and special events.

The busiest travel time through the Gorge is Friday through Sunday. With limited alternate routes due to the remote location of the I-15 Virgin River Gorge corridor, ADOT urges drivers to plan ahead and allow extra travel time.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions. Unscheduled restrictions or closures may occur. To stay up-to-date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at az511.gov or call 5-1-1; outside Arizona, dial 1-888-411-ROAD (7623).

For more information about the I-15 Virgin River Gorge projects, please visit azdot.gov/I15virginriver.

ADOT completes some I-15 bridge projects, easing traffic restrictions

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Virgin River Bridge #6 - ADOT Photo

Virgin River Bridge #6 – ADOT Photo

PHOENIX — Travelers who use the Interstate 15 corridor in the far northwest corner of the state will get some relief as the Arizona Department of Transportation today finished a series of bridge rehabilitation projects through the Virgin River Gorge and lifted several traffic restrictions in the area.

The $2.8 million project started in January and included upgrading the southbound bridge surfaces, girder repairs and other related work on Virgin River Bridge No. 2 (milepost 13), Bridge No. 3 (milepost 13) and Bridge No. 7 (milepost 22).

With completion of work on these three bridges, traffic restrictions have eased through the Virgin River Gorge. However, a work zone will remain in place through 2016 for the reconstruction of Virgin River Bridge No. 6 (milepost 16), approximately 20 miles south of St. George, Utah.

In April, ADOT started an extensive rehabilitation project on Virgin River Bridge No. 6, which includes replacing the bridge’s superstructure (girders, deck and railings), as well as widening the roadway through the narrow Virgin River Gorge. When this section of highway was built, it was the most expensive rural interstate highway built, per mile, when it was completed in 1973 after a decade of construction.

Recently, ADOT started work that will eventually serve as the foundation of the new bridge. The $27 million project is the only active project on Arizona’s portion 29-mile-long of I-15, which directly connects Nevada and Utah and is a heavily-traveled commercial and economic corridor linking southern California with the Rocky Mountain region.

With limited alternate routes due to the remote location of the I-15 Virgin River Gorge corridor, ADOT urges drivers traveling between Mesquite, Nevada, and St. George, Utah, to plan ahead, allow extra travel time, slow down and drive carefully through the Virgin River Bridge No. 6 work zone. I-15 is narrowed to one lane in each direction at the bridge project and delays are possible.