ST. GEORGE – Construction of the Mall Drive Bridge, which began in February in St. George, is reported to be on schedule and targeted for completion the second week of September.
“We set the last of the bridge girders on Thursday – there’s 40 of them – they’re a 130-feet long each,” Mike Smith, City of St. George project manager, said. “The contractor’s just moving along on decking, hoping to pour some deck sections in three or four weeks.”
The project is expected to relieve traffic congestion on both River Road in St. George and Washington Fields Drive in Washington City by comprising a road system that will connect Mall Drive on the north to 3000 East on the south.
“The roadway to and from – from Maverick to the bridge and the bridge to 3000 East – will start in about two weeks,” Smith said, “and that project will finish the same time as the bridge is ready to open, so about the middle of September. We’ll have a traffic signal up there at Maverick on Riverside Drive and Mall. We don’t have one scheduled for here (3000 East) yet, which could come later with some funding.”
There are currently no vehicle traffic detours as the bridge construction is isolated from any existing roads. But the trail that runs along the river is now rerouted to and along Riverside Drive past the project site and then back to the permanent trail.
Originally, the city was looking at costs ranging from $15 million to $20 million to complete the project, St. George Public Works Director Larry Bulloch said. But, over time, the city was able to redesign it to its current project cost estimate of just below $10 million.
The contractor for the bridge is Wadsworth Brothers Construction whose bid unanimously prevailed upon the St. George City Council on Dec. 19, 2013. That bid was for $7.5 million, Bulloch said.
“We haven’t had any issues or problems,” Smith said of the construction. “We’re doing great.”
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Mall Drive Bridge construction project on schedule for September completion, St. George, Utah, June 1, 2014 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
Mall Drive Bridge construction project on schedule for September completion, St. George, Utah, June 1, 2014 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
Mall Drive Bridge construction project on schedule for September completion, St. George, Utah, June 1, 2014 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
Mall Drive Bridge construction project on schedule for September completion, St. George, Utah, June 1, 2014 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
Mall Drive Bridge project rendering | Image courtesy of the City of St. George, St. George News
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I’m confused by this whole project- why is the bridge being built on Mall Dr if it’s purpose is to connect with 3000 East? Wouldn’t a bridge on 2450 East be better?
No. The current design is mo better.
Too bad we didn’t have a REAL mall for that street to be named after. Lol
JJ, Mall is already a five-lane street and more parallel to River Rd, making it ready to be a main thoroughfare. Think about it.
A bridge over virgin water?