Historic Dotsero Bridge Up for Adoption
EAGLE COUNTY — Have you ever wanted to own a piece of Colorado history? If so, now is your chance! The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is offering the National Register-listed Dotsero Bridge over the Colorado River for adoption. Any person or organization willing to relocate the structure may “adopt” it, as plans are underway to replace it later this year.
Constructed in 1935, the green Dotsero Bridge is located on the I-70 frontage road in Dotsero. It is one of just a few metal truss bridges on Colorado’s highway system that is still intact; more specifically, it is a steel, rigid-connected Parker through truss that is 150 feet long, 33 feet wide, and has a vertical clearance of 13 feet 2 inches. The bridge is historically significant for its contribution to transportation on US Highway 6 across western Colorado and because it is an excellent example of a standard Colorado State Highway Department truss design. The bridge may be a good candidate for re-use as a pedestrian or recreational trail bridge. A new deck and abutments would need to be constructed for the bridge in its new location, as the current ones are outdated. To see a photo of the existing bridge, visit www.coloradodot.info/projects/i70greendotserobridge.
For those who are interested, the bridge is free to a good home, but the recipient will need to pay for the disassembly, relocation, and re-assembly of the bridge. Additionally, given the age of the bridge, its paint does contain lead and possibly other constituents that require careful removal and containment. The containment and disposal of the paint during the dismantling process may be an additional cost for the recipient.
Preference will be given to plans that agree to maintain the bridge in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. Potential recipients must submit a written relocation plan detailing the proposed use and new location of the bridge as well as resources available to assure future maintenance. Potential recipients should also state their intent to follow all environmental regulations concerning the treatment of lead-based paint on the structural steel components. CDOT may contribute funding up to the amount anticipated for disposal of the bridge.
If you are interested in adopting this bridge and would like more information about CDOT’s Adopt-a-Bridge program, please contact CDOT Senior Staff Historian Lisa Schoch at (303) 512-4258 or [email protected].
The Dotsero Bridge is being replaced as part of the Colorado Bridge Enterprise (CBE) because it does not meet current bridge design standards and is functionally and structurally obsolete. The CBE was formed in 2009 as part of the FASTER (Funding Advancement for Surface Transportation and Economic Recovery) legislation with the purpose of financing, repairing, reconstructing, and replacing bridges designated as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, and rated in poor condition. For more information about the project, or to sign up for project updates, visit www.coloradodot.info/projects/i70greendotserobridge.
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