January 14, 2013
The Arizona Department of Transportation has begun work to replace the Cold Creek Canyon Bridge on US 191 in Greenlee County.
The bridge, serving southbound US 191, has been closed to traffic since August 2010.
The $5.5 million project, located approximately 10 miles south of Clifton (milepost 155), will include construction of a new five-span bridge to serve traffic on southbound US 191 on a new alignment of the highway and repaving a five-mile segment of the highway in both directions.
The project also will include erosion control improvements on the adjacent northbound US 191 bridge and replacement of barrier walls on the nearby Rattlesnake Canyon Bridge.
ADOT crews began grading temporary construction access roads to the site in early January and will begin staging equipment this week in preparation for drilling pier shafts for the new bridge later this month.
The new 400-foot-long Cold Creek Canyon Bridge will replace the original 1941 structure that was closed to traffic in August 2010 because of structural damage.
The damage, the result of nearly seven decades of exposure to the elements and heavy truck traffic, was discovered by an ADOT maintenance worker and the bridge was closed immediately to prevent other vehicles from crossing.
A detour has been in place since that time to divert southbound traffic on US 191 to the adjacent bridge which is currently being used by traffic in both directions. That detour will remain in place during construction of the new bridge.
Travel restrictions will be necessary during portions of the bridge construction project, the paving work and the barrier construction on the Rattlesnake Canyon Bridge. ADOT will provide detailed information about those restrictions before they go into effect.
The project is scheduled for completion in summer 2013.
ADOT advises drivers to proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.
