BEAVER DAM, Ariz./MESQUITE, Nev. — At 2 p.m., the offramp for exit 122 on the north side of Mesquite and the onramp of exit 8 at Beaver Dam/Littlefield for the northbound lanes for Interstate 15 were temporarily closed.
Arizona Department of Transportation’s Randy Routhier said due to construction at the Virgin River Bridge Project, north of mile marker 8, the Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers closed down the onramp due to the vehicles which get off at Mesquite exit 122 and take Hillside Drive to Beaver Dam, trying to bypass the traffic congestion on Interstate 15.
This was causing three lanes of traffic to merge into one lane, making the traffic congestion worse and causing more traffic problems.
“They flood the onramp and it makes it more congestible, then you have three lanes of traffic trying to merge into one,” Routier said.
The closure will remain in effect until the traffic lessens and the northbound lanes are flowing again at a steady pace.
“There are two DPS officers on scene to ensure vehicles are not using the onramp,” Routier said. “They will make the decision of when to reopen the onramp and if they need to close it again.”
Routier mentioned the closing of the Mesquite off-ramp was not their call, but he said that Mesquite authorities have closed the off-ramp at exit 122 to help reduce congestion and traffic problems within Mesquite in the past when there has been a lot of traffic congestion on Interstate 15.
Mesquite Police Sgt. Wyatt Oliver reported the closure of the offramp at exit 122 in Mesquite was due to the fact traffic problems that are caused by the vehicles which get off to take the back route up Hillside Drive to the frontage road to bypass the traffic. He said at about 5 p.m. the offramp should be about to reopen. Oliver said it may reclose during the next few days if the traffic congestion on Interstate 15 gets bad again. He sent a reminder to tell people to be patient and obey traffic laws to help the flow of traffic.
Travelers stuck in traffic congestion have reported times of 2.5 hours from the Logandale/Overton exit (milepost 93) in Nevada to the north end of the bridge. Vehicles are currently backed up from the bridge all the way past Mesquite, Nevada — over 10 miles.
Alternate routes are traveling on Old Highway 91, which travels from Mesquite through Beaver Dam to Ivins/Santa Clara. Another option is going through Panaca, Nevada to Cedar City. To get on that route, take the US-93 North exit just north of Las Vegas off of Interstate 15 to Panaca, then travel on NV 319/UT 56 to Cedar City. The trip is an estimated 3 hours and 30 minutes and is a scenic drive.
Traffic authorities are advising to expect over two hours to travel from Mesquite, Nevada to St. George, Utah. The recommendation is to make sure to bring plenty of water, fuel and be patient with the flow of traffic.
Both the Nevada Department of Transportation and the Arizona Department of Transportation recommends staying on the freeway and not getting off on unpaved roads or routes. This presents a risk of getting stuck in the sand or starting fires from hot exhaust pipes,
Routier said that driving on the shoulder to bypass traffic is illegal and future closures depends on the traffic flow and congestion during the long holiday weekend. The call to make closures is determined by officers on the scene. This travel advisory will be updated as information is received.
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