Moltz Constructors has won a US$1.2M contract for improvement work on the spillway at Deer Creek dam in the US state of Utah.

The contract, awarded by the US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), is part of the Safety of Dams (SOD) Modification Phase II work taking place at the dam.

Work on the spillway includes the removal of deteriorating concrete sections and the installation of reinforced concrete, grouted anchors and dowels in the spillway chute floor slabs and walls, as well as the installation of PVC waterstops at concrete joints.

In May 2003, USBR began Phase I of a three phase project to modify the dam and spillway structure to be able to withstand a large seismic event. Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is currently working with USBR to complete Phase I. The highway improvement project in Provo Canyon around the dam includes the construction of a bridge spanning the spillway and the realignment of the highway so that it no longer crosses over the top of the dam. UDOT’s project, which began in November 2004, is anticipated to be completed in early 2008. USBR anticipates completing the SOD work by 2010.

Deer Creek dam, the main feature of the Provo River project, was constructed from 1938 to 1941 and is located in Provo Canyon near the city of Provo in Utah. The earth embankment dam has a structural height of 71.6m and impounds the 188.7Mm3 Deer Creek reservoir. Water from the reservoir provides both municipal and irrigation water to large portions of both Utah and Salt Lake counties.