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Repairs to pedestrian bridge at Malad Rest Area serve traveler safety

A pedestrian bridge at the Malad Rest Area had fallen into disrepair, but waiting for the district's bridge and building crew to free up enough time to make the repairs would be a disservice to the numerous travelers who use the bridge to get out of their cars and stretch their legs. Repairing the bridge definitely fit with the department's mission of safety on the highways, and improved customer service.

There are 9,600 vehicles per day on Interstate 15 driving by the rest area, and hundreds of those stop each day at the facility.

It took the crew from the Malad Maintenance shed just two days to remove the old bridge and install the new one. The crew worked with district supply to purchase the materials, and the more experienced workers spent the time to teach each other how to safely operate the tools required. Some even went above and beyond and brought in tools from home to give it a few finishing touches.

"This was a new type of project for this crew, and just goes to show that the maintenance crews can do so much more and are willing to go the extra mile," said Malad maintenance foreman Doug Thorpe. "Many even learned new skills."

"This is also a prime example of cross-utilization. Each maintenance crew has the ability to do projects outside of their 'normal' duties," he added.

Times 7 Focus: Ideally, these innovations will not live in a silo — they will be catalysts for ITD's other district offices and work areas, and inspire duplication statewide. These innovations represent time and money-saving measures, process improvements, and customer-service efficiencies that are transferrable to other districts. In that spirit, if this innovation is something you'd like to adapt to your own district or work space, and you have any questions, please contact District 5 Innovation Steward Greydon Wright at 5-3611.