Construction crews are about to begin a yearslong project to replace a bridge on a stretch of Interstate 15 that passes through a cliff-lined river canyon that connects Nevada and Utah on opposite sides of Arizona’s northwestern corner.
The Arizona Department of Transportation says work on the $56 million project to replace Virgin River Bridge No. 1 will begin Monday, starting with months of work below the bridge.
There will be traffic shifts later in the year but one lane of traffic in each direction will remain open throughout the project expected to be finished by fall of 2023, the department said.
The project includes replacing the bridge’s foundations, piers and deck and it’s the latest in a series of projects in recent years to rehabilitate Virgin River bridges.
Arizona’s 29 miles (47 kilometers) of I-15 connect southeastern Nevada and southwestern Utah and are part of a heavily-traveled corridor linking southern California with the Rocky Mountain region.