UDOT closing I-215 this weekend for bridge work in Murray

MURRAY — Drivers can expect delays on Interstate 215 this weekend as crews start bridge work.

Eastbound I-215 will be closed between the I-15 interchange and State Street while crews take off the top layers of the 300 West bridge over I-215 for repairs.

UDOT said the beams are in great shape and many components are good, but it is time for a tune-up, which will help extend the bridge’s lifespan.

“It’s just like a car or house. It’s reached its time. It needs a facelift,” said UDOT project manager John Montoya.

A little extra care is needed having been there the last 50-some years and surviving the wear and tear of 3,000 driving over it daily, and 20,000 cars traveling underneath it. By tearing off the top riding surface of the bridge and getting it ready for a replacement, the bridge will be ready for future decades.

“If we replace the bridge deck, that’s going to extend the years we can get out of this by about 30 or 40 years,” said UDOT spokesperson John Gleason.

UDOT said bridges are inspected every other year.

A @UtahDOT I-215 freeway closure this weekend could impact your driving around the valley.

Details on @KSL5TV at noon pic.twitter.com/QSVS1xKFXd

— Derek Petersen (@Derek_Photog) March 7, 2024

Crews are focusing on the eastbound side of the bridge this weekend and will work on the westbound side in two weeks.

“It’s not often we close an interstate, so that makes it a lot different than most projects,” Montoya said.

The closure begins Friday at 9 p.m. All eastbound I-215 traffic must exit at I-15 and follow the posted detour through 7200 South and State Street. During construction, traffic on the bridge will be fully restricted. Pedestrian access on the bridge will also be prohibited.

UDOT crews hope eastbound I-215 will fully reopen in time for Monday’s morning commute and plan to wrap up the bridge work by June.