UPDATE 5:13 p.m. Sgt. Bottoms has released that the northbound side of I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge is still heavy, but is not backed up.
VIRGIN RIVER GORGE, Ariz. — Heavy post-holiday traffic on Interstate 15 in the Virgin River Gorge is backing up, and motorists are advised to take an alternate route.
“Northbound I-15 is very heavy this afternoon and beginning to back up,” Arizona Department of Public Safety Sgt. John Bottoms said.
As of 12:10 p.m., the backup in the northbound lanes had reached two miles and is steadily growing, Bottoms said. Motorists are advised to plan for extra travel time to get through the Gorge or to use an alternate route.
Construction projects in the Gorge are contributing to the delays and backups.
Alternate route
Those seeking to avoid the traffic backup in the Virgin River Gorge may take Highway 91 as an alternate route, which may save travel time and reduce congestion.
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.
ADOT Bridge rehabilitation project
Bridges in the Virgin River Gorge were originally constructed in the 1970s. When this section of highway was built, it was the most expensive rural interstate highway built per mile. It was completed in 1973 after a decade of construction.
In January 2014, ADOT began work to modernize and rehabilitate bridges through the Gorge. Work on three of the bridges has been completed, specifically surfaces for Virgin River Bridge No. 2 at milepost 13, Bridge No. 3 at milepost 15 and Bridge No. 7 at milepost 22.
Work began on Bridge No. 6 in the spring of 2014 and is anticipated to be completed in the spring of 2016. Bridge No. 6 involves a $27 million rehabilitation project replacing the bridge’s superstructure — girders, deck and railings — as well as widening the roadway through the narrow passage of the Gorge.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.