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LAYTON -- UDOT crews are preparing to move a bridge in Layton overnight, and that means road closures for drivers.
Hydraulic pistons will be pushing the bridge out over the interstate and setting it up to rest on the bent in the middle of the freeway.
–Darin Fristrup
Crews plan to shut down all southbound lanes on Interstate 15 in Layton around 11 p.m. Saturday so they can slide the 2-million-pound bridge into place. It's an innovative technique that minimizes road closures.
"You just grease it up and let it slide," says Darin Fristrup, a UDOT project manager.
Crews will grease up Teflon pads with oil and push the bridge out over the interstate on steel skid beams.
"Hydraulic pistons will be pushing the bridge out over the interstate and setting it up to rest on the bent in the middle of the freeway," Fristrup says. "We call it launch where we are launching the bridge into place."
This will cut down the amount of hours the freeway will be closed. All lanes should be open by early Sunday morning.
"Because this is such a busy section of the interstate, we're only closing it down for five hours," says Fristrup.
The bridge move is part of the new South Layton Interchange, a $97.5 million project. UDOT officials say the new interchange, which will be completed in December, will help with traffic delays.
"There will be full access to the interstate northbound and southbound and Hill Field Road just north of here is real busy, so this will alleviate some traffic that is there," Fristrup says.
UDOT says all southbound lanes should be back open by 4 a.m. Sunday. Until then, drivers will be detoured to Main Street. Crews will install the other half of the bridge later this month.
E-mail: aforester@ksl.com
