The people of Utah were in for a treat on April 10 when the new 1700 East Bridge was unveiled. 

The Interstate-80 (I-80) is an east-west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey. 

The old 1700 East Bridge was constructed long ago, in 1960, and has served Utah residents diligently for the last 70 years. With constant usage it was worn out and needed to be replaced to avoid any dire consequences.

UDOT only had to close the I-80 section at 1700 East in Salt Lake City for a few hours, causing little inconvenience to motorists. Demolishing the old bridge the previous night,  the new bridge was slid into place using hydraulic jacks and low-friction pads.

This engineering wonder was possible because of the remarkable feat of Utah engineers who used the Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) method, which was first pioneered in 2003; a modern advancement for accelerating the bridge construction process.

"We've been able to minimize impacts to people and just getting in and getting out over a single weekend," said Becky Stromness, a UDOT project manager. 

This new bridge will be beneficial to not just motorists but will provide safer access for pedestrians and cyclists with a new 14-foot-wide path on the west side along with a new sidewalk and bike lane on the east side.

The construction of this bridge has received funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure bill, which has sanctioned a whopping $2.6 billion over the next five years for building and repairing highways and bridges in Utah. 

This investment has come at an opportune time, as the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Utah a C+ on its most recent infrastructure report card. This new bridge is a testament to the changing landscape of Utah's transportation and motorways.

UDOT has announced that it will have over 175 infrastructure construction projects soon underway.