CDOT to Erect Girders for the New US 6 Eagle River Bridge on Monday

EAGLE COUNTY – On Monday, October 10, 2011, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will erect bridge girders on the north side of the new Eagle River Bridge on US 6, one mile east of the roundabout at Eby Creek Road.

From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., motorists can expect longer than usual delays and alternate routes are advised. Traffic will be alternated through the southern lane of the bridge. For safety purposes, the northern lane will be closed during the installation and all traffic will stop periodically when girders are in the air. There are no size/weight restrictions at this time and work is expected to last one day.

CDOT would like to remind motorists to obey all road signs and flaggers, and to drive Slow for the Cone Zone. To receive updates about road conditions in the area, visit www.coloradodot.info/ and click on the green cell phone icon in the upper right hand corner of the page.

This project was contracted to Colorado-based Concrete Express, Inc. for $ 2.9 million. The existing bridge, built in 1933, is in poor condition and has outlived its useful lifespan. The new bridge will be wider, and will include a third lane to better accommodate turns to and from Nogal Road since the current turn lanes are too short and do not meet current safety standards.  Completion of the bridge replacement is scheduled for May 2012.

Replacement of the US 6 Eagle River Bridge is funded through the Colorado Bridge Enterprise (CBE), a government-owned business entity within CDOT that was established as part of the Funding Advancements for Surface Treatment and Economic Recovery (FASTER) legislation. The purpose of the CBE is to complete designated bridge projects that involve the financing, repair, reconstruction, and replacement of bridges designated by CDOT as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, and rated in “poor” condition.

On October 4, 2011 CDOT officially launched a new website to track the status of Colorado’s poor bridges as they are being planned, designed, and constructed through the CBE. Visit http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/BridgeEnterprise for more information.