A routine inspection of the Veyo Arch Bridge, built in 1957, revealed fatigue in its steel structure, prompting the Department of Transportation to impose new restrictions, include lighter weight limits and a single lane of traffic. (Photo: Liv Kelleher, KUTV)VEYO, Utah (KUTV) — A routine inspection of the Veyo Arch Bridge, built in 1957, revealed fatigue in its steel structure, prompting the Department of Transportation to impose new restrictions, include lighter weight limits and a single lane of traffic.According to Ke...
A routine inspection of the Veyo Arch Bridge, built in 1957, revealed fatigue in its steel structure, prompting the Department of Transportation to impose new restrictions, include lighter weight limits and a single lane of traffic. (Photo: Liv Kelleher, KUTV)
VEYO, Utah (KUTV) — A routine inspection of the Veyo Arch Bridge, built in 1957, revealed fatigue in its steel structure, prompting the Department of Transportation to impose new restrictions, include lighter weight limits and a single lane of traffic.
According to Kevin Kitchen, UDOT’s Southern Utah spokesperson, these biannual inspections are critical to monitoring the health of aging infrastructure.
“The good thing is, this is exactly why we do these inspections,” Kitchen said.
Inspectors identified fatigue cracks like those addressed in a 2016 retrofit of the same bridge. To mitigate stress on the bridge, UDOT has reduced the weight limit to 30 tons and implemented one-lane alternating traffic, directing vehicles to the center of the bridge.
These precautions are designed to ensure safety while engineers develop both short-term fixes and a long-term solution.
“The temporary solution is being worked on right now,” Kitchen said. “Our structures division is working with contractors who have expertise in the area to determine the best fit for repairs and to understand why this fatigue is occurring.”
Kitchen said the traffic restrictions are expected to cause minimal delays. The route sees about 4,000 vehicles daily with trucks accounting for about 20% of those, and heavy loads accounting for about 6%.
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Kitchen emphasized that the bridge remains safe for traffic, as long as vehicles adhere to the new weight restrictions and traffic lights.
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“We would never put people on the bridge if we didn’t think it was safe,” Kitchen said. “We have full confidence that there should be no danger to people that are passing over that bridge.”
Short-term repairs are expected to take roughly eight weeks, including design, fabrication and construction. Long-term solutions, which could involve additional retrofits or even a bridge replacement, depend on the findings of the ongoing analysis.
Kitchen said UDOT hopes to have traffic moving in both directions upon completion of the short-term project. However, he said they’ll have to wait until more information comes back to say if or when the weight restriction will be lifted.
“This is a critical piece of infrastructure for smaller communities north of St. George, connecting them to the city,” Kitchen said.
Drivers can expect delays during peak traffic times. The stop lights on either side of the bridge are sensor monitored and change every few minutes, Kitchen said.
For trucks with heavier loads, they will have to take alternative routes for the foreseeable future.
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