Roadwork to impact 8-mile stretch of I-15 south of St. George

ST. GEORGE — Travel in either direction on the Arizona stretch of Interstate 15 will be reduced to a single lane for three days as maintenance work is done next week on the roadway near the Utah border.

Southbound Interstate in Arizona north of the Virgin River Gorge, Mohave County, Arizona, Oct. 1, 2021 |Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

The Arizona Department of Transportation announced Thursday that single-lane travel on north and southbound I-15 will occur between miles 21 and 29 from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Monday and run through Wednesday, Oct. 4-6.

“Drivers should slow down, proceed through the work zone with caution and watch for construction personnel,” ADOT states in its press release regarding the road work.

A vehicle width limit of 10 feet will also be in place.

This roadwork is not connected to work currently being done on Bridge No. 1 between mile markers 8 and 9. Travel is also restricted to a single lane in this area in both directions and maintains a speed limit of 45 mph.

Drivers wishing to avoid the work on I-15 between miles 21 and 19 can bypass it by taking Old Highway 91. This alternate route will take motorists through Ivins and Shivwits and ultimately across the border and into Beaver Dam, Arizona, where the old highway connects to I-15.

Vehicles over 10 feet wide will be required to use a 224-mile detour around the Virgin River Gorge starting in early September 2021 | Map from the Arizona Department of Transportation, St. George News | Click to enlarge

However, those who take this route may still have to deal with delays and single-lane travel as the exit onto the interstate is in the same area as work being done on Bridge No. 1.

Drivers of vehicles wider than 10 feet and carrying more than 129,000 pounds have been advised to avoid the Arizona stretch of I-15 completely and take a 224-mile detour.

Signs, as well as a new ADOT smart phone app, will direct oversize vehicles to US-93, Nevada state Route 319, and Utah state Route 56 between Las Vegas and Cedar City.

The 29-mile segment of I-15 in Arizona directly connects Nevada and Utah, and is a heavily traveled commercial and economic corridor linking Southern California with the Rocky Mountain region.

When it was originally built, this part of I-15 was the most expensive, rural interstate highway built per mile. It was completed in 1973 after a decade of construction.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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