Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) in Phoenix will use a technology funded by the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) that will provide real-time data on the conditions of four interstate bridges.

The FHWA has been approved an accelerated innovation deployment demonstration grant of $768,000, which will be used by ADOT to deploy structural health monitoring systems to the Interstate 15 (I-15) bridges. These systems use sensors installed on the superstructures to analyse, record and share data.

"The technology made possible by this grant will enhance the safety of the travelling public and help inform Arizona’s investments along this vital corridor."

This technology will help ADOT to improve the safety and efficiency of the bridges.

Inaugurated in 1973, the Interstate 15 links southern Nevada and south-western Utah, and runs through a 29-mile (46.7km) stretch in Mohave County. The stretch includes the Virgin River Gorge area with approximately 1.4 million commercial vehicles passing through the route every year.

Expected to be installed later this year, the new systems will help ADOT to identify and quickly respond to issues, as well as determine when bridges would need major repairs or renovations.

ADOT director John Halikowski said: "The technology made possible by this grant will enhance the safety of the travelling public and help inform Arizona’s investments along this vital corridor."

FHWA administrator Gregory Nadeau said: "The 21st century economy demands innovative tools like these, and they will make Arizona’s highways an even more effective part of the national system."

Since 2014, ADOT has invested about $30m in many bridges on Interstate-15, as well as the ongoing upgrade of Virgin River Bridge No. Six.

The monitoring systems will be installed on four other bridges, two of them will be set up in the gorge, and the remaining two in its outer reaches. Of those, Virgin River Bridge No. 1 is slated for a $33m upgrade in 2019.