PHOENIX – A new technique that basically slides precast bridges into place has greatly reduced delays for the Bellemont community with an Arizona Department of Transportation project replacing spans over Interstate 40 at Transwestern Road west of Flagstaff.

Using this technique, which the contractor proposed, allowed crews to replace the bridges during a nine-day closure of Transwestern Road over I-40 rather than having the six to eight months of restrictions required for a traditional bridge replacement project.

Joining ADOT engineers in a process called value engineering, which analyzes plans looking for ways to improve quality and value while reducing time needed to complete improvements, the contractor proposed casting the new bridges whole to the east of the existing bridges and then moving them into place in a process that works much like sliding components into place. ADOT approved the plan.

Once the new bridges were complete, crews diverted I-40 traffic to the on- and off-ramps in order to demolish the old bridges. Workers then used hydraulic jacks to lift and move the new Bellemont/Transwestern Road bridges into place. That part of the process took about four-and-a-half days.

ADOT regularly looks for accelerated bridge construction methods and other innovations that can reduce delays and inconvenience for drivers. Earlier this year, for example, the agency used a process known as a geosynthetic reinforced soil-integrated bridge system to rebuild the bridges on I-40 at Meteor City Road, creating abutments by putting in alternating layers of granular fill reinforced with synthetic material. That process also cut construction time by months.

PHOENIX – An Arizona Department of Transportation project on US 60 east of the Phoenix area is replacing the 70-year-old bridge over Pinto Creek with a nearly 700-foot span designed to better accommodate personal and commercial travel for decades to come. 

Traffic restrictions are scheduled to begin Monday, Oct. 7, on US 60 between Miami and Superior as construction gets underway on the two-year, $22.7 million Pinto Creek Bridge project.

Motorists should plan for lane restrictions and delays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, Oct. 7-9. The restrictions will allow crews to mobilize equipment and begin construction of an access road into Pinto Creek Canyon.

Additional restrictions and closures are tentatively scheduled to begin the week of Oct. 21. Lane restrictions are scheduled from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with full closures of US 60 scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These restrictions and closures are expected to continue for about six to eight weeks.

During the full closures, which will allow crews to conduct blasting to move the highway about 30 feet to the north to align with the new bridge, motorists will detour on state routes 77 and 177 through Winkelman. This will add at least 45 minutes to the trip between the Globe area and Superior. Providing consistent days and times for these full closures is designed to help those relying on US 60 better schedule their travel between the Globe and Phoenix areas. 

Additional overnight closures are expected later in the project to place bridge girders and pour the concrete deck for the new bridge. Toward the end of the project, a five-day closure of US 60 will be required to finish realigning the highway with the new bridge.

The new bridge will be 695.5 feet length and supported by three piers. Being built adjacent to the current bridge, which will continue to be used during construction, it will have one lane of traffic in each direction and 8-foot-wide shoulders.

Once the bridge is completed, crews will dismantle the existing bridge, built in 1949 with an estimated lifespan of 50 years. While it remains safe for traffic, the existing bridge doesn’t meet current standards for bridge design used by ADOT, the Federal Highway Administration and the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials.

For more information, please visit azdot.gov/PintoCreekBridge.

PHOENIX – Winning a $10.4 million Federal Highway Administration grant will allow the Arizona Department of Transportation to advance improvements to four US 191 bridges in a corridor important to residents of the Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona.

The bridges cross major drainages on the Navajo Nation between Chinle Wash at milepost 470 north of Many Farms and Lukachukai Creek at milepost 488.

ADOT plans to use accelerated bridge construction methods on the project because of the economic importance of this stretch of US 191. This innovative approach reduces traffic impacts by shortening the time needed to improve each bridge while reducing the overall cost.

In applying for the Competitive Highway Bridge Program grant, ADOT bundled the four bridges under one project, which allows resources to be shared during construction. The agency’s application, developed in consultation with tribal leaders, noted the route’s importance to those who rely on it for access to education, employment and essential services.

The grant allows ADOT to use funds currently committed to this project to address other transportation needs in Arizona.

The Federal Highway Administration issued a total of $225 million in Competitive Highway Bridge Program grants to 18 states.

PHOENIX – An Arizona Department of Transportation project replacing the Interstate 40 bridge at Meteor City Road is using innovative techniques that get the work done faster, limit inconvenience for motorists and reduce long-term maintenance costs.

This work, which began in mid-July, is creating abutments by putting in alternating layers of granular fill reinforced with synthetic material. It’s ADOT’s first use of this technique, known as a geosynthetic reinforced soil-integrated bridge system, to rebuild an overpass.

The approach makes it possible for a bridge replacement that ordinarily would take about six months to wrap up this fall.

Bridges constructed using this method have lower maintenance costs over their life spans and also fit more seamlessly into the roadway approaches, creating a smoother transition from road to bridge.

In addition, the project is constructing a new bridge deck using a polyester polymer concrete that can be placed and cured in a matter of days rather than weeks. This new type of deck provides similar performance with lower maintenance costs compared to a traditional concrete bridge deck.

This method of constructing bridge decks is not only a first for ADOT but for the state.

In addition to replacing the bridge, crews will also reconstruct the roadway approach to the bridge.

The current detour that takes I-40 traffic onto the Meteor City Road off- and on-ramps to move through the work zone will last through mid-August.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but there is a possibility that unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule. To stay up to date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov or call 511.

PHOENIX – Drivers heading along I-40 between Flagstaff and Winslow should slow down and expect delays while work is taking place. The ramp detour will remain in place 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The speed limit is reduced to 45 mph.

In addition to replacing the bridges, crews will also reconstruct the roadway approach to the bridges.

The current detour will last through mid-August while the project is anticipated to wrap up sometime in the fall.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but there is a possibility that unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule. To stay up to date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov or call 511.