PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is seeking input from community members on a bridge rehabilitation project along Interstate 15 in the Virgin River Gorge with a public hearing on Nov. 29 in Littlefield.

Those attending the hearing, to be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Beaver Dam Lodge, 452 Old Highway 91 North, can review and comment on the draft environmental assessment for the bridge project. A formal presentation is scheduled from 6 to 6:30 p.m.

The hearing will present three issues identified with Bridge No. 1 along I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge as well as a preferred design solution to replace the bridge and widen the roadway shoulders.

The draft environmental assessment, which is available for review through Dec. 14, can be reviewed online at www.azdot.gov/i15ea and at the following locations during business hours:

• Mesquite Library, 121 W. First North St., Mesquite, Nevada 
• Washington County Library-St. George Branch, 88 W. 100 South St., St. George, Utah
• Beaver Dam Lodge, 452 Old Highway 91 North, Littlefield, Arizona

Outside of the public hearing, community members can provide comments on the draft environmental assessment through the following ways:

• In writing: I-15, Bridge 1, 101 N. First Ave., Suite 2600, Phoenix, AZ 85003
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 855.712.8530

For more information on this and other projects, visit azdot.gov.

PHOENIX – A national industry group has honored the Arizona Department of Transportation’s $30 million rehabilitation of an Interstate 15 bridge through the rugged Virgin River Gorge in far northwestern Arizona.

The American Public Works Association selected the Virgin Bridge No. 6 improvement, completed last year, as Project of the Year among transportation projects worth between $25 million and $75 million, with ADOT as the managing agency, Pulice-Wadsworth Brothers Joint Venture as primary contractor and Jacobs as primary consultant.

“This award acknowledges the creativity and cooperation that went into making a critically needed improvement to a vital regional economic corridor,” said Dallas Hammit, ADOT state engineer and deputy director for transportation.

Upgrading the 50-year-old bridge was the centerpiece of $50 million in upgrades to the 30 miles of I-15 passing through Arizona, including paving the entire stretch and repairing the decks of three other bridges.

At Virgin River Bridge No. 6, crews replaced girders, decks and railings and widened the roadway. Accomplishing that required 4,000 cubic yards of structural concrete, 3 million pounds of structural steel, 910,000 pounds of reinforcing steel, 4,000 tons of earth moved and 3,600 tons of asphalt.

A $21.6 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant ADOT won for the project in 2014 provided three years for ADOT to complete the design, for the project to receive environmental clearance and for crews to complete the bridge upgrades.

The project’s challenges also included the rugged, remote location. The bridge stands 100 feet above the Virgin River in a narrow canyon, requiring specialized equipment to work in tight spaces. ADOT and its partners also worked closely with agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Arizona State Land Department and Environmental Protection Agency to safeguard the river.

Among other honors, the Virgin River Bridge No. 6 rehabilitation has been named International Partnering Institute Partnered Project of the Year and has received the Marvin M. Black Partnering Excellence Award as part of the Alliant Build America Awards.

ADOT’s current five-year construction program commits $50 million in fiscal 2020 to renovate Virgin River Bridge No. 1 near Littlefield and $5.5 million in fiscal 2019 to rehabilitate other I-15 bridges.

PHOENIX – Drivers have a wider, safer US 60 climbing west from Superior, a new bridge that will eliminate flooding closures on US 95 near Yuma and a rehabilitated Virgin River Bridge No. 6 on Interstate 15 thanks to just some of the Arizona Department of Transportation projects completed this year in Greater Arizona.

More is on the way in 2017, including widening the last section of State Route 260 between Interstate 17 and Cottonwood, and starting work on a bridge carrying State Route 347 over railroad tracks in Maricopa.

After months of regularly scheduled blasting closures, those using US 60 between Superior and Globe now have an westbound passing lane on the grade between Oak Flat and Devil’s Canyon (mileposts 230 to 232). Other improvements along this stretch include a wider shoulder at Devil’s Canyon and bridge improvements at Waterfall Canyon near milepost 229. The projects also removed overhanging rocks that have posed the danger of rock falling during heavy rain.

This work was part of $65 million in US 60 improvements that also include ongoing work to convert the last remaining two-lane roadway segment between Phoenix and Superior into four-lane divided highway (mileposts 222-227 just west of Superior) and a project that installed LED lighting in the Queen Creek Tunnel at milepost 228.

Along I-15 in far northwestern Arizona, ADOT completed a $27 million rehabilitation of Virgin River Bridge No. 6 that replaced girders, decks and railings and widened the roadway at the bridge. This was the centerpiece of $50 million in upgrades that also included paving all 29 miles of I-15 in Arizona and repairing the decks of three other bridges in the Virgin River Gorge corridor.

Until late 2016, flash floods could cause closures of US 95 at Fortuna Wash near Yuma – no small problem considering that the wash lies between the city and Yuma County’s largest employer, Yuma Proving Ground. Today, motorists using this key trade route between the U.S. and Mexico cross Fortuna Wash on a $9.3 million, 600-foot bridge. Final work on the bridge and this stretch of US 95 will continue until spring.

Among other highlights in Greater Arizona, ADOT completed a major project to improve mobility and safety along US 89 through the Navajo Nation community of Cameron north of Flagstaff. The $36.7 million project replaced two bridges over the Little Colorado River, widened four miles of highway, added a roundabout at the junction with State Route 64, and installed sidewalks and underpasses.

On State Route 89 between Chino Valley and Interstate 40, ADOT completed a new $14.4 million bridge at Hell Canyon featuring 12-foot lanes and 10-foot shoulders to better accommodate oversize loads and commercial vehicles. Replacing a now-dismantled bridge built in 1954 that no longer met state and federal design standards for larger and heavier vehicles, the new structure is 665 feet long and has four spans to carry the load.

In spring 2017, work is to begin on a project widening nine miles of SR 260 (mileposts 209-218) to modern four-lane divided highway from Interstate 17 west to Thousand Trails Road. This $62 million project also will install seven roundabouts at major cross streets.

Late in 2017, ADOT plans to begin work on a $55 million project in Maricopa that will realign SR 347 between Desert Cedars Drive and Hathaway Avenue and create a bridge carrying the highway over Union Pacific railroad tracks where dozens of trains pass each day. A $15 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant and a $15 million local contribution have helped ADOT move forward sooner on this project than originally planned. 

For information about other current and planned projects in Greater Arizona, visit azdot.gov/projects.

PHOENIX – When crews completed Interstate 15 through the rugged Virgin River Gorge in 1973, the 29-mile stretch in northwest Arizona was one of the most challenging projects to date in the U.S. interstate system.

Among other projects along this stretch in the past two years, the Arizona Department of Transportation’s $27 million rehabilitation of Virgin River Bridge No. 6 has been challenging as well, not just for those doing the work but for motorists facing lane restrictions.

That project – and the lane restrictions – ended this week with crews completing the bridge work, the centerpiece of $50 million in upgrades that also included paving the entire interstate through Arizona and repairing the decks of three other bridges.

Crews faced uncommon challenges as they replaced girders, decks and railings as well as widening the roadway at Bridge No. 6, said Adam Carreon, ADOT’s resident engineer on the project.

The first was the same as during the original construction: geography. The bridge stands 100 feet above the river in a narrow canyon. Not only did that demand an unending focus on safety for workers, it required specialized equipment to work in tight spaces.

“I-15 in the Virgin River Gorge is an extremely curvy section of freeway,” Carreon said. “Access was extremely limited. We had to build a steep road to bring equipment, materials and workers to the work site.”

Protecting the environment also required careful management, including shielding to prevent any debris from falling into the Virgin River. Crews worked closely with the Bureau of Land Management, Arizona Game and Fish Department, the Arizona State Land Department’s Natural Resources Division and the Environmental Protection Agency, among other agencies.

“Every precaution was taken to make sure we were sensitive to the environment,” Carreon said.

And it was a big job, involving 4,000 cubic yards of structural concrete, 3 million pounds of structural steel, 910,000 pounds of reinforcing steel, 4,000 tons of earth moved and 3,600 tons of asphalt.

The stretch of I-15 connecting Utah and Nevada is a vital economic corridor, with 1.4 million trucks using the roadway each year. Its remote location offers few alternate routes.

ADOT’s commitment to Arizona’s stretch of I-15 will continue beyond its latest project. The agency’s five-year construction program commits $33 million in fiscal 2019 to renovating Virgin River Bridge No. 1 near Littlefield.

LITTLEFIELD ‒ The Arizona Department of Transportation will begin the final phase of a pavement improvement project next week to upgrade a 13-mile segment of Interstate 15 from the Nevada state line to the Virgin River Gorge (mileposts 1-13) in northwest Arizona.

Crews will apply the top layer of asphalt to the pavement beginning Monday, May 9, and continuing through Thursday, May 26. No work will occur during the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Motorists traveling through this area should be prepared for possible delays up to an hour Monday through Thursday during paving operations from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

One travel lane will remain open overnight in each direction.

When work on the $10.4 million project is completed in June, ADOT will have repaved the entire 29-mile-long Arizona corridor of I-15 in the last three years to provide a smoother surface for motorists. In 2013, ADOT finished an $11.6 million project to repave the stretch from the Virgin River Gorge to the Utah line (mileposts 13-29).

With limited alternate routes through this corridor, drivers should plan ahead, allow extra travel time, slow down and drive carefully through the work zone, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

To stay up-to-date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at az511.gov or call 511; outside of Arizona dial 1.888.411.ROAD (7623).

PHOENIX ‒ Improving traffic flow and safety on Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson. Helping commerce move on a state route between the border and Interstate 19 in Nogales. Rehabilitating an 850-foot-long bridge along Interstate 15 in northwestern Arizona.

Aiming to move forward sooner on those goals, the Arizona Department of Transportation is seeking $109.5 million through two highly competitive federal grant programs.

With $800 million available through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s FASTLANE grant program, established under the 2015 FAST Act, ADOT has applied for $60 million and offered to provide $86.83 million in matching funds to be used in four ways along I-10 between the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas:

• Realigning and widening four miles in the Picacho area to three lanes in each direction while reconstructing the interchange with State Route 87.
• Widening four miles between Earley Road and Interstate 8 to three lanes in each direction while upgrading ramps at Jimmie Kerr Boulevard near Casa Grande.
• Making technology enhancements to improve traffic management and safety, including remote sensors to provide early warning of approaching dust.
• Conducting preliminary engineering and completing an environmental analysis for widening 27 miles of I-10 to three lanes in each direction between the Loop 202 Santan Freeway and approximately SR 387 in Casa Grande. Any plan to widen I-10 through the Gila River Indian Community would require an agreement with the tribal government.

“The impact of Interstate 10 on Arizona’s citizens and economy is huge. Improvements to this vital link between Phoenix and Tucson are critical to our quality of life,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Each element of the FASTLANE grant proposal will advance these efforts to continue improving I-10 and significantly benefit motorists and the flow of commerce.”

Meanwhile, ADOT has submitted Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant proposals for two projects:

• $25 million, with a proposed $39 million state match, to improve the 3.75-mile State Route 189 (Mariposa Road) in Nogales. Proposed upgrades to the route, which connects the Mariposa Port of Entry with Interstate 19 and Interstate Business 19/Grand Avenue, include a raised median and improving ramps connecting with I-19.
• $24.5 million, with a proposed $10.5 million state match, to rehabilitate Virgin River Bridge No. 1 on Interstate 15. Built in 1964 and located just east of Littlefield in the far northwestern corner of Arizona, the bridge has never undergone a major rehabilitation.

Both TIGER grant projects and the two I-10 construction projects in the FASTLANE grant are already part of ADOT’s plans, both through its current construction program and the Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program that’s receiving public input and awaiting a vote by the State Transportation Board.

For Virgin River Bridge No. 1, $33 million in construction funding is programmed for fiscal 2019. For SR 189, ADOT has recommended $64 million in fiscal 2021 for construction. For the I-10 projects, ADOT has recommended $85 million in fiscal 2018 for the Picacho area and $40 million in fiscal 2019 for Earley Road to I-8.

Winning grants would allow these projects to move forward faster and enable ADOT to redirect money toward other pressing needs.

“There are no guarantees when it comes to competitive grants, but success pays big dividends for Arizona,” Halikowski said.

Since 2012, ADOT has received a total of $43.6 million through 15 competitive grants, most of them administered by U.S. DOT. Much of that amount comes from TIGER grants for a planned railroad overpass on State Route 347 in Maricopa and the ongoing reconstruction of Virgin River Bridge No. 6 on I-15.

There will be plenty of competition from other states for FASTLANE and TIGER grants. For fiscal 2015, when ADOT won a $15 million grant toward the SR 347 project, U.S. DOT received 627 eligible applications worth $10.1 billion for the $500 million available. About $500 million is available in the current round of TIGER grants.

U.S. DOT is expected to announce awards from both grant programs later this year.

PHOENIX ‒ Arizona Department of Transportation engineers in Phoenix will get real-time information on the conditions of four interstate bridges in remote northwestern Arizona thanks to technology funded by a $768,000 Federal Highway Administration grant.

To enhance safety and efficiency, ADOT will use the Accelerated Innovation Deployment Demonstration grant to add structural health monitoring systems to the Interstate 15 bridges, embedding sensors on the superstructures that record, analyze and share data.

The systems, which will be installed by this fall, will help ADOT identify and address problems quickly and decide when the bridges will need major repairs or replacement. They also will help ADOT engineers determine when to conduct inspections, which are required at least every two years and involve lane restrictions.

“The technology made possible by this grant will enhance the safety of the traveling public and help inform Arizona’s investments along this vital corridor,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “We appreciate our federal partners helping to make it possible.”

Since early 2014, ADOT has invested nearly $30 million in several I-15 bridges, including an ongoing upgrade of Virgin River Bridge No. 6. The monitoring systems will be installed on four other bridges, two of them in the gorge and two in its outer reaches. One of those, Virgin River Bridge No. 1, is scheduled for a $33 million upgrade in fiscal year 2019.

“Cutting-edge technology like this takes bridge data to a new level,” Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau said. “The 21st century economy demands innovative tools like these, and they will make Arizona’s highways an even more effective part of the national system.”

Opened in 1973, the stretch of Interstate 15 connecting southwestern Utah and southern Nevada passes through 29 miles of Mohave County, including the Virgin River Gorge. About 1.4 million commercial vehicles use the route annually.

PHOENIX ‒ The Arizona Department of Transportation will begin a pavement improvement project Monday, Jan. 4, along Interstate 15 that will resurface a 13-mile segment east of Mesquite, Nevada. When this work is completed in summer 2016, ADOT will have repaved the entire 29-mile-long Arizona corridor of I-15 in the last three years to provide a smoother surface for motorists.

In 2013, ADOT finished an $11.6 million project to repave the stretch from the Virgin River Gorge to the Utah line (mileposts 13-29). The new $10.4 million project will cover the segment from the Nevada line to the Virgin River Gorge (mileposts 1-13), and will also include improvements to the I-15 Littlefield Bridge at milepost 8.

To minimize travel delays, most of the paving work will take place overnight between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Crews will begin working in the southbound lanes at Exit 8 (Littlefield). Motorists should expect brief delays while traveling through the work zone.

Motorists should plan for additional travel delays while ADOT continues a major reconstruction of the Virgin River Bridge No. 6 (milepost 16), midway between Mesquite, Nevada, and St. George, Utah. The highway is narrowed to one lane in each direction through the work zone until the project is completed in summer 2016.

This $27 million project will replace the bridge’s superstructure (girders, deck and railings) as well as widen the roadway through the gorge.

With limited alternate routes through this corridor, drivers should plan ahead, allow extra travel time, slow down, drive carefully through the work zone and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

To stay up to date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at az511.gov or call 511; outside of Arizona dial 1.888.411.ROAD (7623).

PHOENIX — Motorists who travel regularly between Mesquite, Nevada, and St. George, Utah, along Arizona’s stretch of Interstate 15 received some good news today as the Arizona Department of Transportation reopened both southbound lanes temporarily in advance of the busy Labor Day weekend (Sept. 4-7). This area has been restricted due to a major reconstruction project on Virgin River Bridge No. 6 (milepost 16).

ADOT is urging motorists traveling on I-15 in the far northwest corner of Arizona to allow for extra travel time due to expected heavy traffic and be aware of an existing work zone through the Virgin River Gorge on the northbound bridge, which will remain narrowed to one lane.

While no active construction will be taking place during the holiday weekend, delays of up to two hours have been reported on previous holiday travel weekends through the Virgin River Gorge, which is nearly 100 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

Following the extended holiday weekend, ADOT will begin work on the replacing the southbound bridge structure and both directions of traffic will be diverted onto the newly built northbound bridge beginning at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8. The highway will be narrowed to one lane in each direction through the work zone until the project is completed in 2016.

This $27 million improvement project includes the replacement of the bridge’s superstructure (girders, deck and railings), as well as widening the roadway through the narrow passage of the gorge.

With limited alternate routes due to the remote location of the I-15 Virgin River Gorge corridor, ADOT urges drivers to plan ahead, allow extra travel time, slow down and drive carefully through the work zone, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

To stay up to date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at az511.gov or call 511; outside of Arizona dial 1.888.411.ROAD (7623).