Photo contributed: Temporary steel stanchions support the bridge, allowing the reopening of I-10’s westbound lanes.
Contractor ADOT worked around the clock to reinforce the overpass near Wilcox.
Contributed Article/Courtesy of ADOT
WILLCOX – Arizona’s interstate highways are essential corridors for personal and business travel. If the incident necessitates an extended closure, the Arizona Department of Transportation will respond quickly and reopen the boulevard as soon as possible, with safety as our number one goal.
A fatal semi-tractor-trailer crash early Wednesday caused severe damage to the support structure of a bridge on U.S. Route 191, which spans westbound Interstate 10 just west of Wilcox. After it happened, it happened. Less than two days later, the ADOT project reopened the westbound lane with temporary assistance from steel members.
“We are proud of the ADOT team members and dedicated contractors who quickly identified and executed this urgent project,” said Jennifer Toth, ADOT Director. “They set up a safe detour, deployed the necessary teams and around the clock he reopened this important corridor within two days.”
Approved by ADOT’s Bridge Group, overseen by ADOT’s Southeast District Engineers, and made possible by emergency procurement, the project hired Granite Construction Inc. as the prime contractor. Just hours after the Arizona Department of Public Safety completed a crash investigation, ADOT and contractors began working non-stop to dismantle the damaged piers and erect temporary support structures.
What the public fails to see as they pass through this temporary structure is the intensity of the effort, dedication and commitment to safety that made it possible.
A welder who was on site for most of the project told our engineers that he is 80 years old and still works for his son’s company as a subcontractor. “I have retired six times his, but I love my job,” he said.
State, county and local law enforcement agencies operating along the bypass route, as well as counties and municipalities in southeastern Arizona, also generously supported this monumental effort. The New Mexico Department of Transportation helped close New Mexico’s westbound I-10.
With temporary structures currently being installed on the US 191 bridge at I-10 milepost 331, ADOT will make long-term planning decisions. At a minimum, the piers, girders and decks where the collision occurred should be replaced.
There is never a better time for long closures, especially those with long detours from busy highways. In the event of such an event, ADOT team members will respond quickly and work as hard as possible with safety as the number one goal.
