SR 92 San Pedro River Bridge replacement work begins

PHOENIX – Southern Arizona drivers can expect minor delays for the next eight months on State Route 92 in southern Cochise County as crews work to replace a 61-year-old bridge over the San Pedro River.

The bridge will close from 7 a.m.  to 3 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 12, so Arizona Department of Transportation workers can put temporary striping, construction barriers and a traffic signal in place. Drivers will use Palominas and Hereford roads as an alternate.

The bridge is expected to remain open throughout the project, with traffic alternating in one lane as crews work on the other lane. The temporary traffic signal will control traffic throughout the $4.3 million project, which is expected to be completed by June.

Crews have already begun clearing vegetation around the bridge, which is near milepost 340, about halfway between Sierra Vista and Bisbee. Crews will work weekdays from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m., with work hours shifting to 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. during winter months.

The existing bridge was constructed in 1955 and no longer meets modern bridge standards. The new bridge will be a 362-foot-long, three-span concrete girder bridge that provides greater clearance above the river. The bridge will feature a 12-foot-wide travel lane in each direction with 10-foot-wide shoulder on each side.