The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is conducting overnight lane closures on northbound Interstate 15 to repair a bridge near the Browse interchange after an excavator struck the structure last year.
Repairs are focused on two beams damaged in July 2024, when an excavator being hauled on a trailer failed to clear the 16-foot height restriction at Exit 30. The impact caused traffic delays but did not compromise the bridge’s immediate usability.
“It is critical to understand route height restrictions as well as the configuration of any load that you are hauling,” said Becky Nix, UDOT bridge management engineer, in a statement. “These hits pose safety hazards, are extremely costly to repair, and can create significant delays.”
Crews are now splicing undamaged rebar with new steel using mechanical connectors, recasting the concrete and securing the repair with fiber-reinforced polymer wrap to restore the beam’s strength.
Work will take place nightly from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. through the end of June. All lanes will reopen temporarily over the Memorial Day weekend.
“We are performing these repairs to return the beam to its original capacity and durability, while at the same time limiting the overall impact that a bridge replacement would impose,” Nix said.
Located 30 miles north of the Utah-Arizona border, the bridge remains structurally sound, according to UDOT.
Source: Utah Department of Transportation, Hoodline.com
