Credit: UDOT.
SALT LAKE CITY — Emergency road repairs closed four lanes of northbound I-15 in Salt Lake City on Sunday.
Utah Department of Transportation crews have been working since Sunday morning to repair a pothole in the bridge over 800 South. The pothole is roughly two feet by three feet and has punctured the bottom of the bridge, according to UDOT spokesman John Gleason, making it dangerous to drive over.
Gleason chalks the pothole up to the recent rain, along with Utah’s harsh winter climate.
“All of that precipitation can really do damage to the road (and) cause erosion,” he said. “That type of erosion can happen in fairly short order.”
According to Gleason, the 800 South bridge was last inspected in July as part of UDOT’s “aggressive” bridge maintenance program. Crews found no indications of damage or susceptibility.
“It’s a good indication of just how fast this type of erosion and damage can happen when you have heavy rains like this,” he said.
As of 8:15 PM on Sunday, UDOT was unsure if I-15 would be fully repaired in time for Monday morning’s commute.
“It’s still too early to know if all lanes will be open in time for the morning commute, but our crews are making progress, and we remain optimistic,” Gleason wrote on Twitter.