Department of Transportation seeks public comment on I-15 bridge overhaul

November 21, 2017 Utah Channel 3

ST. GEORGE – An Interstate 15 bridge spanning the Virgin River by Beaver Dam and Littlefield, Arizona, is the next target of rehabilitative roadwork in the near future.

Known as “Bridge No. 1” by Arizona Department of Transportation officials, it follows work done in recent years on the bridges through the Virgin River Gorge.

Virgin River Bridge No. 1 from below, Beaver Dam, Arizona, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of the Arizona Department of Transportation, St. George News

Officials are taking public comment on the upcoming Bridge No. 1 project Nov. 29 from 6-8 p.m. at the Beaver Dam Lodge, 452 Old Highway 9, Littlefield, Arizona. A formal presentation is scheduled from 6 to 6:30 p.m.

Those unable to make the meeting can review the project’s environmental assessment study on the ADOT website and comments online at Azdot.gov/VRB1Comments

Bridge No. 1, like the bridges built in the Virgin River Gorge prior to their recent reconstruction, hasn’t undergone a major overhaul since it was built in 1964.

While minor repairs have enabled it to meet growing transportation needs, the bridge is in need of comprehensive repair and rehabilitation, according to ADOT officials.

During a study of the Bridge No 1, road planners identified three issues to be resolved: structural deficiencies, the ability to accommodate high volumes of truck traffic and the need to support interstate and regional travel.

A preferred design solution to replace the bridge and widen the roadway shoulders in construction phases has been proposed.

ADOT has committed $50 million in 2020 to renovate the bridge and $5.5 million in 2019 to rehabilitate other I-15 bridges as a part of a current five-year construction program.

Reconstruction of the last bridge through the gorge, Bridge No. 6, wrapped up in July 2016, bringing a temporary end to seemingly constant roadwork on I-15 through the gorge that started in 2014 and cost an estimated $27 million.

Prior to the work on Bridge No. 6, ADOT reconstructed Bridges No. 2, 3 and 7 between 2013 and 2014, and engaged in a repaving project in 2012 before that. The Arizona stretch of I-15 runs 29 miles between Utah and Nevada and is considered a critical transportation artery by road planners.

Event details

What: Public hearing for the Bridge No. 1 project.
When: 6-8 p.m., Nov. 29. A formal presentation is scheduled from 6 to 6:30 p.m.
Where: Beaver Dam Lodge, 452 Old Highway 9, Littlefield, Arizona.

Email: mkessler@stgnews.com

Twitter: @MoriKessler