Motorists can expect week of single-lane travel on portion of southbound I-15 through Arizona

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

ST. GEORGE — Motorists traveling on the Arizona stretch of I-15 that runs through Littlefield can expect to see southbound travel restricted to a single lane next week.

A generalized map of the Bridge 1 project area | Graphic courtesy of the Arizona Department of Transportation, St. George News

According to a press release from the Arizona Department of Transportation, starting Monday and running through July 16 between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m., inspection work being done on the bridge over the Virgin River in the area of mile 9 will reduce southbound traffic to a single lane.

Motorists are advised to exercise caution when passing through the construction zone and adhere to the 45 mph speed limit.

Later this summer, drivers can expect additional lane restrictions and traffic shifts as part of the bridge replacement project. One lane of traffic in each direction will be maintained throughout the project. To plan your trip, get travel times or see ADOT cameras, download the AZ 511 app.

Known as Bridge No. 1, ADOT is in the process of replacing it as part of a project that will extend into 2024.

Work on the bridge is anticipated to run $56 million and involves 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.

The project is the latest round in a major upgrade program focused on the highway bridges on the Arizona portion of I-15 stretching back to 2014. The bridges were originally constructed in the 1970s.

When it was originally built, the 29-miles of I-15 passing through Arizona proved to be the most expensive rural interstate highway built per mile at the time. It was completed in 1973 after a decade of construction.

The bridges – most of which are situated in the Virgin River Gorge – hadn’t seen any major maintenance or structural upgrades until ADOT began its massive overhaul project seven years ago.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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