The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is warning truckers to plan for lengthy delays and possible detours due to a bridge replacement project that starts on Wednesday.
Starting on Wednesday, September 8, officials will close all but one lane in each direction of I-15 at the Virgin River Bridge No. 1. in Littlefield, Arizona.
ADOT says that the lane closures are part of a bridge replacement project “to remedy the bridge’s structural deficiencies so that I-15 can continue to accommodate truck traffic and facilitate the movement of people, goods and services while minimizing maintenance requirements.”
In addition to lane closures, the project will also require width and weight restrictions for commercial vehicles.
All vehicles wider than 10 feet or heavier than 129,000 pounds will be required to use a 224 mile detour route for the duration of the construction project.
The oversized truck detour route will direct drivers to take US 93, Nevada State Route 319 and Utah State Route 56 between Las Vegas and Cedar City, Utah.
The $56 million bridge replacement project began in February 2021, with most of the work taking place below the bridge. The project is slated for completion by spring of 2024.
The contractor responsible for the bridge replacement has developed an app called “Virgin River Bridge” to keep drivers informed about the latest travel information. The app is available for free download for Apple and Android users.
“This project seemed like a great fit to have its own app to keep the public updated on construction progress and traffic impacts because most of the traffic on this section of I-15 is passing through from one state to another,” said Brenden Foley, assistant district engineer for ADOT’s Northcentral District.
“We especially encourage truck drivers who use I-15 frequently to download this app in order to stay current on traffic impacts while we improve Bridge No. 1,” Foley said.
For more information on the project, please click here.