Wadsworth Brothers Construction Co. Inc. is entering the final months of the Utah Department of Transportation's (UDOT) $151 million Interstate 15 Shepard Lane Interchange project in Farmington, Utah, with completion expected by the end of the year.
Wasdsworth Brothers Construction photo
The project, which began in spring 2024 and is funded by state and local sources, will improve traffic flow, safety and multimodal connectivity by constructing the new North Station Lane diamond interchange, auxiliary lanes, local roadway connections, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, bridges, noise walls and drainage improvements. Approximately 163,000 vehicles travel this section of I-15 each day.
Horrocks designed the project.
A major milestone was reached in late 2025 with the opening of the North Station Lane bridge, replacing the former Shepard Lane overpass.
"Opening this interchange is an important step toward a more connected Farmington," UDOT Region 1 Director Nathan Peterson told Construction Equipment Guide. "This project also supports safer walking, biking and transit access in an area where many people are traveling between neighborhoods, businesses and the FrontRunner."
Mitch Shaw, a spokesman for UDOT Region 1, noted another key accomplishment.
"The biggest milestone so far was the opening of the new North Station Lane bridge over Interstate 15 in late 2025, replacing the old Shepard Lane bridge that was demolished," he told Construction Equipment Guide.
The steel girder bridge carries a 10-ft.-wide shared-use trail and new sidewalks, providing pedestrian and bicycle access that did not exist on the previous bridge. Additional improvements include a new multiuse path at Park Lane connecting the FrontRunner station with destinations east of U.S. 89.
Layne Fullmer, Wadsworth Brothers' senior project manager, said replacing the former overpass with a full interchange significantly improves east-west travel while minimizing impacts to I-15 traffic.
"The new interchange will help with connection to the West Davis corridor and improve East-West connections," he told Construction Equipment Guide.
"The new diamond interchange alleviates pressure on surrounding local roads and improves traffic flow by providing direct connections to I-15, US-89, and Legacy Parkway," he said. "Regarding connectivity, the overpass crosses over Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) and Utah Transportation Authority (UTA) tracks, creating a smoother and more reliable route for drivers traveling through the growing Farmington area. The project promotes active transportation by adding new sidewalks and bike lanes, giving residents more ways to travel."
Multiple Work Fronts
Wasdsworth Brothers Construction photo
A June 26 project update reported the job was approximately 75 percent complete. Crews continue working simultaneously on several major components, including the southbound I-15 on-ramp at North Station, pedestrian bridges and underpass at Park Lane, final pavement work and median improvements. Local street reconstruction, utility relocations and remaining pedestrian facilities also are scheduled for completion this year.
Most construction takes place on weekdays, although night and weekend work is used for operations affecting traffic.
"We are using a temporary concrete barrier along I-15 to provide a protected work zone," Fullmer said. "Traffic on I-15 is moving at regular speed through the work zone. There are minimum impacts to traffic. The project allows for lane closures during non-peak traffic hours, which allows us the opportunity to bring in the necessary materials and equipment."
One of the project's defining construction features has been the use of accelerated bridge construction and prefabricated bridge elements.
"By building bridge components off-site and maneuvering them into place during overnight closures, UDOT minimizes major travel disruptions," Shaw said. "The core of the project's efficiency is building new overpass segments (like the new North Station Lane bridge) off-site and shifting them rapidly into place. This drastically reduces freeway closures compared to traditional cast-in-place construction.
"Because the new North Station Lane interchange crosses over busy UPRR and UTA tracks as well as I-15," he added, "crews must safely maneuver large heavy bridge components in a very constrained area using precise overnight installations."
Delays, Construction Challenges
Wasdsworth Brothers Construction photo
The project has encountered several obstacles, including unknown utilities, design revisions and restricted work areas adjacent to the interstate and railroad corridors.
"The project encountered several unknown utilities and design errors, which extended the project by over a year," Fullmer said. "Gaining access to the platform to construct the Trail E bridge was challenging. The work has been slow, but things are looking good to finish the project by the end of the year. The northbound and southbound sections, median and the bridges at Park Station have all had tight work zones. We're also dealing with soil, water and utility issues."
Fullmer noted that limited construction space along I-15 and the need to coordinate with the railroad added complexity throughout the project.
Demolition, Bridge Work Drive Final Phase
Wasdsworth Brothers Construction photo
Replacing the existing Shepard Lane overpass required carefully sequenced demolition while maintaining traffic on I-15 and coordinating with UPRR and UTA operations.
Most demolition occurred during overnight weekend freeway closures.
"This is because we had to do most of the demolition on the weekend at night," Dustin Belnap, Wadsworth Brothers' project superintendent, told Construction Equipment Guide. "It was a phased demolition. We closed the freeway — closing the southbound direction one weekend night and the next weekend we shut down the northbound direction for a night to demolish."
The demolition plan emphasized close coordination with the railroads and detailed sequencing for girder removal, crane operations and worker safety. Equipment included hydraulic excavators, wheel loaders, KOBLECO 250-ton cranes, forklifts, manlifts, support trucks and specialized cutting equipment.
A designated fire watch remained on site during torch-cutting operations, while field mechanics provided backup support. Safety measures included 100 percent fall protection during deck and girder removal, daily safety meetings and exclusion zones around demolition activities.
With demolition complete, crews shifted their attention to bridge construction and roadway improvements.
"We had six pier caissons for the pedestrian bridges," Belnap said. "Two of the pedestrian bridges have piers with one column."
More than 7,200 linear ft. of steel beams, weighing approximately 3.3 million lbs., were installed.
"Several cranes from a 60-ton capacity to a 450-ton capacity were used," said Belnap, "for both single picks and tandem picks."
Bridge construction included epoxy-coated reinforcing steel and hundreds of concrete pours.
Because the work crossed active railroad corridors, coordination remained a daily priority.
"We had weekly meetings with Olsen and daily coordination with onsite UPRR flaggers," Belnap said.
Materials, Workforce
Wasdsworth Brothers Construction photo
Roadway construction continues with excavation, drainage installation and paving operations progressing together.
"We're using borrow, granular backfill, untreated base course and asphalt," said Fullmer, noting that the drainage systems — concrete and HDPE — are being installed as the roadwork progresses.
Earthmoving operations have generated approximately 30,000 cu. yds. of material. Construction has required approximately 1,698 tons of structural steel, 25,000 tons of asphalt, 2,500 precast concrete noise-wall panels and roughly 12,000 linear ft. of drainage piping. Another 300,000 tons of imported fill, base and gravel were used to build the interchange approaches and shared-use trail.
Wadsworth Brothers typically has about 80 employees and subcontractor personnel on site. The project team includes Assistant Project Manager Rob Dahl and Superintendents Dustin Belnap and Jason Thomson.
Major subcontractors include Suncore, Cache Valley Electrical, Comers Concrete, Harper Contracting, Granite Construction and Nucor Steel.
