Reid Announces Nearly $22 Million to Rehabilitate Critical Bridge on I-15

Press Release

Nevada Senator Harry Reid today announced a $21,600,000 grant to rehabilitate Virgin River Bridge #6 on Interstate-15 in the Virgin River Gorge. According to the National Bridge Inspection Standards, Bridge #6 is structurally deficient and this grant will allow replacement of the bridge superstructure and increase the width of the bridge roadway. The grant comes from the United States Department of Transportation's TIGER Grant program. The Virgin River Gorge Bridges connect Nevada to our neighbors and are part of the I-15 Mobility Alliance, which includes the Department of Transportation of Nevada, Utah, Arizona and California.

"Investing in Nevada's infrastructure will create jobs and reinforce our state's economy," said Reid. "Today's announcement is good news for Nevada businesses and tourists that rely on Interstate 15 to travel and transport their products to Southern Nevada. I am pleased we will have the proper resources to rehabilitate the structure for the future, and I am confident that job-creating projects like this will help chart a path for Nevada's economic success."

The Bridge rehabilitation project was supported by a large coalition of public and private stakeholders in Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. Closing or restricting weight on this bridge would have significantly increased transportation costs and weakened productivity for businesses. Each year, 1.4 million trucks travel this route to ship and deliver goods and materials.

About the Virgin River Gorge Bridges
The Virgin River Gorge Bridges connects Nevada to our neighbors via east/west connection to I-15 and is part of the I-15 Mobility Alliance, comprised of over 70 public and private partners. This alliance recognized the Virgin River Gorge Bridges to be of highest priority due to their significant impact on the interstate transportation system. Each day, more than 3,000 heavy trucks use the bridges to transport vital products to the west and the rest of the country.

About TIGER Grants
The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER Discretionary Grant program, provides opportunities for the U.S. Department of Transportation to invest in road, rail, transit and port projects. The TIGER program enables the United State Department of Transportation to select projects with exceptional benefits, explore ways to deliver projects faster and save on construction costs, and make investments in our Nation's infrastructure that make communities more livable and sustainable.

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