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Jed Boal ReportingThe state starts a major bridge project that could affect your travel in the months ahead. Reconstruction work started today on the Redwood Road bridge over I-80.
The Utah Department of Transportation says it will try to minimize delays, but a significant closure this weekend may frustrate some motorists.
If you regularly drive Redwood Road, you know about all of the construction during the past year, especially at the S-R 201 interchange. This new project adds another orange cone zone for about four months.
Redwood Road at I-80 will get an overhaul. Crews will demolish, rebuild and repave this five-lane bridge during the next four months.
Bethany Eller, UDOT: "It's large. It's a 4.1 million dollar project to bring this up to safety codes."
UDOT crews will tear up the concrete median first, then get down to the business of tearing down the bridge this weekend.
Bethany Eller, UDOT: "We're trying to work on all of the structures across the state to bring them up to code and safety regulations that are set by the federal government."
Construction crews will keep one northbound, one southbound and one center lane open on Redwood throughout the project.
Bethany Eller: "Traffic will be able to travel one lane in each direction and a center turning lane. For I-80, we'll be able to do most of the work with two lanes open in each direction."
Except this weekend; all lanes of I-80 will close at Redwood Road for the entire weekend. The closure starts at 8 p.m. Friday and runs through 6 a.m. Monday. The best alternates to avoid the area will be I-215, Bangerter Highway, SR 201 and Redwood Road. You will see signs to help you get around the construction zone.
UDOT will close I-80 again for an entire weekend in about two months. Crews will lay down asphalt in that stage of the project. It is dependent upon the weather, so UDOT will announce the closure later.
Again, I-80 will be closed at Redwood Road all weekend. The entire project is slated for four months.
