VIDEO: Timelapse of UDOT crews replacing 1300 East bridge

SUGAR HOUSE, Utah (ABC4) – Over the weekend, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) replaced the 1300 East bridge running over I-80. Now, UDOT has released a timelapse video showing the hard work, and the oddly satisfying moment when the bridge slid into place.
The timelapse is only about a minute long. In that 60 seconds, UDOT crews can be seen systematically dismantling the existing bridge, using a team of heavy machinery to chip away at the asphalt and concrete. Once the roadway was gone, crews worked to clear debris off I-80 below before dismantling the remaining beams.
As I-80 was cleared and the debris and dirt were washed away, crews above began sliding the new 1300 East bridge into place and securing it. The video was an incredible look at how UDOT crews work to replace aging infrastructure.
In order to facilitate the bridge slide, UDOT crews closed I-80 between 700 East and Foothill Drive in both directions on Friday, April 14. 1300 East was also understandably closed as the old bridge was torn down to make way for the new one.
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The closure was meant to last until Monday morning, opening at 5 a.m., just before the morning commute. UDOT crews were able to open both the interstate and 1300 East late Sunday night, finishing up work on the bridge slide ahead of schedule.
According to UDOT, the process, aptly named Accelerated Bridge Construction, was pioneered in Utah. Throughout the process, the new bridge is built alongside the old bridge, which is then slid into place once completed. The entire process requires minimal traffic disruption, as I-80 and 1300 East were only completely shut down for the bridge slide.
The process makes it easier for UDOT and crews nationwide to replace aging infrastructure such as the 1300 East bridge. UDOT said 1300 East was built in the early 1960s and was due for a replacement. The new bridge now provides a smoother ride for drivers, while providing sidewalks and trails for pedestrians and bikers.