Highway 96 Bridge Project: Two Detours Gone – Two to Go

July 21, 2011 - Southeastern Colorado/CDOT Region 2 - CROWLEY/KIOWA COUNTIES – Traffic signals have been removed at two bridge construction sites on State Highway 96 between Ordway and Eads.

The detours have been removed and traffic is back in its normal configuration about seven miles west of Arlington (mile 123.2) and a couple of miles west of Haswell (mile 141.8).  The signals were alternating traffic through a one-lane detour that went around the work zone at both locations.

Two other signals continue to alternate eastbound and westbound traffic: at Black Draw (mile 114.5), four miles east of Sugar City, and at a draw, nine miles west of Arlington (mile 121.1).  Both are functioning 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are timed to minimize wait times for stopped vehicles.

Since work continues at all four locations, the speed limit is reduced to 40 mph and over-width vehicles, wider than 12 feet, need to use an alternate route.

In addition to new bridge construction, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) project consists of road reconstruction at each site, asphalt paving, erosion control, seeding, mulching, signing and striping.

All work is scheduled to be completed in September 2011.

The $2.9 million project is funded through the Statewide Bridge Enterprise, a government-owned business entity within CDOT.  Created as part of the FASTER (Funding Advancements for Surface Transportation and Economic Recovery) legislation, its goal is to finance, repair, reconstruct or replace any bridge designated as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, and rated “poor” by CDOT.  Additional information is available at: www.coloradodot.info/projects/faster.

Updated information regarding traffic impacts on this or other CDOT projects is available at www.coloradodot.info/travel/scheduled-lane-closures.html or by calling 511.  To receive project updates via e-mail, visit www.coloradodot.info and click on the cell-phone icon in the upper right-hand corner.  The link takes you to a list of items you can subscribe to, including Southeast Colorado.