UDOT outlines two-year plan to replace University Avenue bridge; lane and pedestrian detours planned

The Utah Department of Transportation presented plans Sept. 23 for a full replacement of the University Avenue bridge over the UTA/FrontRunner corridor, saying work will start in October and the project is scheduled to finish in 2027.

UDOT project manager Andy Spencer said a contractor is mobilizing next week and that crews will use a staged approach: build the west side first, then the east, keeping one travel lane open in each direction while work proceeds. Spencer said the structure is at the end of its service life and that replacement is necessary after inspections and interim repairs performed in 2021.

Spencer and UDOT communications manager Wyatt Woollie showed renderings of the new crossing and said the replacement will widen the bridge to add eight-foot sidewalks, six-foot bike lanes and two full motor vehicle lanes in each direction once work is complete. Spencer said the…