Crews are beginning preliminary work for the Gila River Bridge replacement project on State Route 79 on the north side of Florence.
Motorists may notice survey work, sign installation and other work over the next few weeks. Only minor delays and lane restrictions are planned for the majority of the project duration.
The overall reconstruction project is expected to take up to 18 months to complete. Motorists should expect minor delays and lane restrictions for the majority of the project
The new bridge will include 8-foot shoulders and a pedestrian walkway on the west side.
Construction will be completed using an Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) technique to minimize traffic impacts on the heavily-used SR 79 corridor.
Under this approach, the new bridge piers will be built while the existing bridge remains in use. The upper portion of the new bridge will be built in two halves, one on each side of the existing bridge. Traffic will switch to the new bridge halves and the existing bridge will be removed. The bridge halves will then be slid into their permanent position over two weekends.
Traffic will be maintained in each direction except during the weekends the bridge slides will take place. During the sliding of each half of the bridge, SR 79 will be reduced to a single lane with a temporary signal allowing traffic to flow one direction at a time.
This technique means SR 79 will remain open to nearly all vehicles, but large oversized vehicles may need to use an alternate route. Delays should be expected during the slide phases. Additional notice will be provided in advance of the weekend slide phases.
For more information about the project or to subscribe to email updates, visit the project website at https://azdot.gov/
