ST. GEORGE — If you’re driving in either direction on Interstate 15 through Southwest Utah, the Arizona strip, and into  Nevada this weekend, you might want to check traffic conditions first, as the traffic has been backed up on the freeway for the third day in a row.

Update Oct. 8, 3:15 p.m.

A 911 call was received on Saturday afternoon regarding a brush fire at milepost 9, which was announced on the electrical warning sign by the Beaver Dam exit.

Mesquite Fire and Rescue Public Information Officer Capt. Spencer Lewis and the Arizona Department of Public Safety informed St. George News the brush fire had no effect on the traffic.

“It was discovered the fire was a controlled burn. It is the season, and Littlefield and Beaver Dam are allowed to do controlled burns,” Capt. Lewis said. “Most likely, someone saw it while stuck in the traffic and was bored and called it in.”

Travelers posting comments on social media are reporting delays near Beaver Dam, Arizona, in excess of two hours, the result of road construction at the Virgin River Bridge by Beaver Dam at milepost 8.

Thursday night, there were traffic problems on the Nevada side of the border at milepost 112, the Bunkerville exit. The onramps and offramps were both closed, with one lane on the southbound side closed for milling and paving operations.

The Mesquite Police Department addressed the situation on its Facebook page Thursday night.

“We just received information from NHP that exit 112 will be closed until 3 a.m. (Friday) morning due to roadwork. Southbound traffic on I-15 is currently backed up to roughly mile marker 120. Please DO NOT attempt to take Riverside Road to bypass the traffic. You will not be able to re-enter the freeway and will have to turn around. Y’all be patient, and plan ahead if you absolutely have to get down there tonight; GPS apps are currently showing about a 3-hour travel time to Las Vegas.”

Mesquite Police Sgt. Wyatt Oliver reported they had reopened the exit earlier Friday morning.

“If they reclosed it, we do not know about it, but it is possible,” Sgt. Oliver said of the Friday afternoon and evening delays. “Nothing has been relayed to us by NDOT presently.”

One major area of congestion is between mileposts 111 and 120 on the southbound side. Travelers, many of whom are on the road because it is a holiday weekend, reported delays of two hours or more on Thursday and into Friday morning, with one commenter reporting an almost 4 1/2 hour drive to Las Vegas.

As of Saturday morning, reports came back from the Nevada Department of Transportation that all four lanes were open for travel within mileposts 111-120, and the Bunkerville exit is open.

According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Virgin River Bridge Project in Arizona by Beaver Dam and Littlefield is now the major source of traffic congestion on both southbound and northbound lanes. Northbound is backed up halfway to Mesquite, while the southbound lanes were backed up way into the Virgin River Gorge, all the way to milepost 15. This was similar to Friday.

No vehicle accidents have been reported, and the backup appears to be from the busy weekend travel.

Several travelers have assumed part of the heavy travel heading southbound is due to the football game between Brigham Young University and Notre Dame at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas tonight.

According to their websites, both NDOT and the ADOT recommend double-checking before leaving for heavy traffic and long travels to ensure plenty of water, gas, and car fluids are filled. They ask all travelers to practice common courtesy and be patient to ensure the safety of all other drivers and travelers on the freeways.

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