Bridge Demolition to Close Wadsworth Boulevard Under US 285 This Weekend

February 4, 2011 - Denver Metro Colorado/CDOT Region 6 - DENVER— Starting tonight, February 4th through Monday, February 7th, weather permitting, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will demolish the last portion of the US 285 bridge over Wadsworth Boulevard.

As of noon today, the contractor still plans to conduct the work.  Information will be released if inclement weather postpones the work.

To complete the bridge demolition, single lane closures of northbound and southbound Wadsworth Boulevard under US 285 will begin at 8 p.m. with all lanes closing at 9 p.m.  All lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. on Monday, February 7th.  During the closure, the following detour routes will in place:

  • Southbound Wadsworth Boulevard Detour: Motorists on southbound Wadsworth Boulevard will take westbound US 285 to Kipling Parkway where they will return to eastbound US 285 for access to Wadsworth Boulevard.  CDOT encourages motorists to seek alternate routes as backups may be extensive.
  • Northbound Wadsworth Boulevard Detour: Motorists on northbound Wadsworth Boulevard will take eastbound US 285 to Sheridan Boulevard where they will return to westbound US 285 for access to Wadsworth Boulevard.

Major delays are expected this weekend on Wadsworth Boulevard as well as surrounding streets.  Alternate routes are strongly advised.  CDOT would like to remind motorists to plan ahead, obey all traffic signs and flaggers and to “Slow for the Cone Zone.”  Fines for most infractions that occur in the work zone will be doubled.

The bridge demolition is part of a safety and mobility improvement project on US 285 between Federal Boulevard and Kipling Parkway.  The $40.1 million design-build project will reconstruct US 285 and replace three bridges among other improvements.

In all, the project will:

o   Reconstruct approximately four miles of US 285 between Federal Boulevard and Kipling Parkway

o   Replace the bridges on US 285 over Wadsworth Boulevard, Pierce Street and Federal Boulevard

o   Add additional through lanes on Wadsworth Boulevard and reconstruct the US 285/Wadsworth Boulevard intersection

o   Rehabilitate the bridge decks on US 285 over Estes Street, Bear Creek, Raleigh Street and Sheridan Boulevard

o   Widen the inside shoulder of US 285 between Wadsworth Boulevard and Sheridan Boulevard

o   Add an additional left turn lane from southbound Knox Court to eastbound US 285

o   Construct drainage and water quality improvements to accommodate potential future widening or other construction projects

Concrete Express Inc. and Tsiouvaras, Simmons, and Holderness, Inc. is the design-build team for this project that will be completed by the end of July 2011.

For more information about this project, visit http://www.coloradodot.info/projects/us285wadsdb.  To receive e-mail updates about the project, visit www.coloradodot.info and click on the icon in the upper right-hand corner.  The link will take you to a list of items you can subscribe to including the “US 285 Reconstruction” project listed under “Projects.