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Show Interstate Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Planned July 8 for Dixie Road Project Utah's "Dixie'' will be the scene of ribbon-cutting ceremonies ceremon-ies for the first complete section of the Interstate Highway system sys-tem to be finished in the state. The project is situated between Anderson Junction and Plntura, In Washington County. The date for the ceremony is Wednesday, July 8, at 10 a. m. at the Browse Interchange, which Is approximately approxi-mately one mile south of the community of Plntura. The event is being sponsored jointly by the St George Chamber of Commerce and the Hurricane's Lions club. The ceremony will mark the official opening of a section of Interstate Highway No. 15, that bisects the state from north to south. The Beck Street overpass was the first project to be completed com-pleted on the Interstate system In the state. This project In Utah's "Dixie" contains three interchan-ges interchan-ges and five and one-half miles of four-lane divided highway constructed to freeway standards. It is therefore, considered by State -Road officials as the first complete unit of Interstate work to be finished. Two Million Contract The contractor for the roadway has been Stong Company, who, in getting the bid for $2,117,285, was awarded the largest dollar contract in the history of the Road Commission. The work has been supervised by R. K. Griffin, resident engineer for the state. Two other contracts have also been finished In the stretch, to bring the work to completion. This has Included the building of three Interchange structures by the General Contractors Company at total cost of $218,452, and a structure at South Ash Creek by the V. C. Mendenhall Com-pany. Com-pany. The latter Job has cost the state $192,796. Total expenditures for the roadway and structures combined, amount to over two nd one-half million dollars. The Utah State Road Commission Commis-sion has some $5.6 million worth of Interstate construction in this area, including the project which will be involved in the ribbon-cutting ribbon-cutting ceremony. This complete stretch of 15 miles extends from the Washington-Iron County line to the Anderson Junction. The work has Involved seven major projects including the building of the Ash Creek Dam. The latter lat-ter is reported to be the only project pro-ject of its kind in the nation. Workmen are moving more than 650,000 cubic yards of material to make the earth filled dam. It will then serve as a bridge and provide a base for carrying the Interstate highway "on its back." Replace Black Ridge Work In this area will replace and realign the former US 91, as the route becomes a part of Interstate In-terstate Route No. 15, north and south in the state. The Ash Creek area, better known to local citizens citi-zens and travelers as the "Black Ridge area" has been the scene of a narrow winding section of Highway 91. It will now be brought to Interstate standards with the improvements that the road commission now has under way. This section will now become be-come a moderi four-lane divided freway, completely fenced with no cross traffic. The state already has plans for additional Interstate work in the area. This will Include a Job from Anderson's Ranch to Leeds. Tentative advertisement date for, bids has btsen set for September of this year. Construction will consist of a complete four-lane highway, divided, surfaced, together to-gether with structures. The five and one-half mile length has an estimated cost of approximately $3 million. |