Concrete drops from bridge

BOUNTIFUL — A large chunk of concrete and asphalt fell off the 500 South overpass on I-15, prompting state officials to close off a portion of the heavily traveled freeway and reroute traffic to the Legacy Highway.

About noon Monday, the Utah Highway Patrol said a driver underneath the 500 South structure — called the "bridge deck" — saw a piece of concrete fall. No one was injured, Sgt. Jeff Nigbur said. One car sustained minor damage.

"There's a part of the bridge that's falling apart," Nigbur said Monday. "We're doing a hard closure until UDOT figures out how to make it safe."

On I-15, one lane will be closed, but it could expand to two as the Utah Department of Transportation begins examining it and making repairs. UDOT spokesman Nile Easton said the chunk of road was 1 foot by 3 feet, but the steel structure of the bridge remains intact.

UDOT has hired an emergency contractor to fix the problem, but Easton said it was unknown how long it would take to repair.

"My best guess now would be about three days," he said.

UDOT closed the northbound right lane of northbound I-15 at 500 South and westbound 500 South under the bridge. Another northbound lane of I-15 was closed Monday evening, Easton said.

In the face of the afternoon commute, which is always heavy in that area of Davis County and lately plagued with construction delays, the UHP opened up the Legacy Highway to semitrailers and other trucks. They will be required to maintain the same 55 mph speed limit on cars, UHP trooper Cameron Roden said.

"It'll still be pretty packed but not to the extent of where we didn't have Legacy," Nigbur said.

E-MAIL: bwinslow@desnews.com; lhancock@desnews.com