Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and City of Flagstaff officials are espousing the benefits of a bridge widening project that will enhance traffic flow while adding bicycle and pedestrian capacity.
The scope of work relating to the Fourth Street bridge, which is scheduled to be complete by winter, calls for ADOT to deploy an accelerated bridge construction technique sliding precast bridges into place to reduce the time needed to complete the improvement and minimize delays for residents of Flagstaff’s east side and I-40 drivers.
The bridge is currently one lane in each direction. It will be replaced with a wider bridge offering two lanes in each direction, a center turn lane and a protected path for bicycles and pedestrians on one side and a sidewalk on the other.
Impacts on motorist travel include the narrowing of Fourth Street to one lane overnight throughout the project, with flaggers directing traffic while I-40 drivers can expect single-lane closures in one direction at a time on nights and weekends throughout the project.
The project will require a 17-day full closure of Fourth Street over I-40 in midsummer to remove the old bridge and slide the new bridges into place, and Fourth Street will be fully closed over two weekends during the project.
ADOT is administering the project, with Flagstaff funding half of the cost while also paying for project enhancements such as bridge aesthetics.