UDOT begins preservation work on Jason R. Workman Memorial Bridge
The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has begun construction efforts to preserve the life of a metal arch bridge spanning the San Juan River at Mexican Hat.
Work crews are setting up scaffolding under the Jason R. Workman Memorial Bridge to facilitate repairs that will encompass the structure both above and below the road surface.
The $3.5 million project, awarded to Granite Construction, is designed to ensure structural integrity by working on bridge plates, columns, and rivets and improving drainage. Other work will include repairing potholes on the deck, work on expansion joints, and painting the bridge to prevent corrosion.
Width restrictions are necessary to perform much of the work. Vehicles wider than eight feet will be routed to U.S. Highway 191. Smaller vehicles should anticipate delays of several minutes as traffic will only be allowed to travel one direction at a time over the bridge.
At least one weekend closure is expected as early as mid-August. Several night closures of the entire bridge are also anticipated to facilitate paving and deck work.
The bridge is named after Jason Workman, a Navy Seal from Blanding who was killed in Afghanistan in 2011.