Arizona’s first prefabricated bridge set to go up along old Route 66
Mar 11, 2017, 5:18 PM

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation will be installing the state’s first prefabricated bridge along Oatman Highway, or old Route 66, in Mohave County.
The 110-foot bridge is being manufactured in Phoenix and then will be transported in sections to the site in northwestern Arizona.
When completed, the bridge will carry traffic over the Sacramento Wash, about a mile north of Interstate 40 near Topock.
ADOT has already built the support structure needed for the bridge and is currently awaiting installation which should take place next week. In order to accommodate the work, Exit 1 on Interstate 40 will be closed from 12:01 a.m. on Monday until midnight on Thursday. Drivers heading to Oatman and other parts along the Colorado River will need to through Needles, California — taking the J Street/downtown exit and following the signs toward Arizona State Route 95 North/Bullhead City.
According to ADOT, accelerated bridge construction using prefabricated elements saves time and money while it greatly reduces traffic restrictions to days instead of weeks or months.
“This initiative saves an estimated $2.6 million in road user impacts to traditional bridge construction methods,” Mohave County Public Works Director Steven P. Latoski said in a press release. “That includes work zone delays and a costly, long-term detour to commuters, businesses and visitors who depend on the Oatman Highway corridor.”
The total cost of the project is $1.8 million with Mohave County receiving a $1 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration for the bridge.