VIRGIN RIVER GORGE, Ariz. — Motorists traveling both northbound and southbound on Interstate 15 can expect delays in the Virgin River Gorge today, said Sgt. John Bottoms of the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Traffic in the northbound lanes is currently backed up approximately four miles, and in the southbound lanes the backup is just over three miles.

The delays are due to weekend traffic through the constricted construction zones.

ADOT is working on a major reconstruction of the Virgin River Bridge No. 6 at milepost 16, midway between Mesquite, Nevada, and St. George, Utah, approximately 100 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

The Interstate is narrowed to one lane in each direction through the work zone until the project is completed in 2016.

Alternate route

Those seeking to avoid the traffic backup in the Virgin River Gorge may take Highway 91 as an alternate route. The highway bypasses the Gorge entirely, intersecting with I-15 at Exit 8 in Littlefield, Arizona, to the south and connecting to St. George at the north via Santa Clara and Sunset Boulevard. See map included in this article.