Overview

The culvert crossing under Big Cottonwood Canyon Road (SR-190) near the water treatment plant is in need of repairs to ensure the culvert continues working effectively and efficiently for years to come.

The repairs include:

• Removing delaminated pieces of concrete – concrete that’s peeling away.
• Exposing and cleaning rebar – exposing rebar ensures it’s clean and free from rust and surrounded by new concrete.
• Applying patches – This includes placing Ultra High Performance Concrete that as a compressive strength 10 times that of traditional concrete.

This work will take place within the culvert without the need to close traffic lanes. As waterflows within Big Cottonwood Creek are at the lowest, no impacts to the creek are needed as crews will build coffer dams to push water to one side of the culvert or the other as work takes place.

Photos: TOP - Cracks and gaps in the culvert walls and ceiling. BOTTOM - Exposed rusted rebar on the culvert floor in the water. 

UDOT (Utah Department of Transportation) manages over 47,000 culverts under Utah highways. They prioritize culvert maintenance using a culvert management system and manual, focusing on predicting deterioration to target repairs effectively. This system helps focus resources on the most critical areas. 

A key aspect of culvert maintenance is inspection, which includes assessing the condition of inlets, outlets, and the culvert structure itself for signs of deterioration or damage. UDOT employs innovative tools and techniques, like camera systems for inspecting culverts, to enhance maintenance efficiency.

Based on inspection findings, UDOT undertakes repairs or rehabilitation of culverts to ensure proper functionality and prevent issues like flooding.