Interstate 15 travels along the scenic Virgin River in the north-west corner of Arizona, linking California and Nevada with the Rocky Mountain region. Since 2014, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has been repairing, rehabilitating or replacing the seven bridges on 1-15 in the state, and Virgin River Bridge No. 1 is the latest to be addressed. The US$57-million replacement project is being completed through a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) approach, which has managed risks and improved constructability on what will be the longest steel girder span in Arizona. Built in 1964, the existing Virgin River Bridge No. 1 is a five-span haunched steel girder bridge which has been classified as structurally deficient and scour critical. The 259.4m-long bridge has a long history of repairs including deck, joint and barrier replacement in 1986; girder fatigue crack repair in 1999; and joint replacement and deck repair in 2012. After the last repair project in 2012, ADOT initiated a scoping phase to determine the long-term approach for the crossing. Two major findings came out of this process, which lasted from 2012 to 2018: replace the bridge on the same alignment and use the CMAR delivery method. In early 2018, HDR was retained to provide final design services and, in early 2019, after the 30% design package was complete, Kiewit was retained as the CMAR contractor. The design phase concluded at the end of 2020 and construction began in February 2021. The new bridge is scheduled to be completed in 2023.
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