This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

West Valley City • The Utah Department of Transportation showed off new "hydro demolition" work Friday on I-215. It uses high-pressure water jets to demolish concrete bridge decks without damaging the reinforcing steel or structure underneath.

The I-215 reconstruction project is one of the first in Utah to use this new technique, which is quicker and more precise than traditional bridge-deck demolition methods. Other projects utilizing this method include the U.S. 40 bridge maintenance project currently underway in Summit County, and an upcoming bridge maintenance project starting next month on the I-215 east belt.