US 191 Bridge over the Colorado River, Moab, Utah

SEGMENTS, SPRING 2010, VOL. 55

Traffic along US 191 in Moab, Utah began using the southbound bridge across the Colorado River on February 8, 2010, just thirteen months after construction began. The bridge (Fig. 16) was designed by FIGG and is being built by Wadsworth Construction for the Utah Department of Transportation. A parallel structure is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

Utah’s first concrete segmental bridge (Fig. 17) will replace the existing bridge with a new, environment friendly design that blends with the pristine landscape. Long, arching spans echo the landscape in nearby Arches National Park. Using a rock texture on the piers and a mineral stain for the concrete will further blend the new Colorado River Bridge with its surroundings. The 1,025' bridges feature a 438' main span with only one pier placed in the water. Concrete segmental balanced cantilever construction above the river preserves the environment and maintains recreatinal uses of the river.