UDOT Cutting Construction Time and Cost with Soil Bridge Abutment

Reinforced soil is completely replacing concrete in the abutments for an I-80 overpass near Echo Junction, UT

Utah DOT is the first in the country to use the reinforced soil technique at the abutment of an interstate bridge. The geosynthetic reinforcement, soil-integrated bridge system uses tons of soil and will save taxpayers time and money.

"Basically what we are doing here is just building a bridge abutment out of soil and reinforcement instead of concrete," said Tim Rose, UDOT Region 2 deputy director.

For the Echo Junction I-80 overpass, crews are building the footing for a 58-foot-wide span of multiple layers of compressed dirt separated by a tarp-like fabric.

(more on Utah's soil bridge abutment . . . )

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