SR-12 Red Canyon Tunnel Rehab
Bryce, Utah
Award of Merit

Owner: Utah Dept. of Transportation
Lead Design Firm: Michael Baker International
General Contractor: Kraemer North America LLC
Geotechnical Engineer: Gerhart Cole Inc.
Subcontractors: Harward & Rees; Iron Ridge Civil Solutions; Western Rock; Work Zone Traffic Safety

Bryce Canyon National Park serves more than 1 million tourists annually, with State Route 12 providing the primary access. This project restored two natural rock tunnels originally constructed in Red Canyon on National Forest land in the early 1900s. It was imperative to keep SR-12 open throughout the rehab project. The team worked with UDOT and the U.S. Forest Service to develop a plan for a single-lane bypass road, improving safety by separating the traveling public and workers while allowing crews to work during daylight hours. The tunnels are listed as a national historic landmark, so samples and test panels ensured that the shotcrete applied was an exact match to the original in color and shape.

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