SH 82 Grand Avenue Bridge Open House Invited Community to Comment on Alternatives

August 23, 2012 - Northwestern Colorado/CDOT Region 3 - GLENWOOD SPRINGS – Residents, business owners, and other members of the Glenwood Springs community attended an open house held by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to review the alternatives being studied in the Environmental Assessment (EA) for replacing the Grand Avenue Bridge.

Eight-nine people attended the open house. They viewed new and updated information about the two alternatives still under consideration, including how pedestrian and bicycle connections will work for each alternative, traffic simulations for the various intersection options, and simulations of various viewpoints. CDOT asked for additional public input on the options that have been studied in greater detail since the end of June.

Through a collaborative process with the community and agency stakeholders, CDOT had narrowed the alternatives to two alignments that best meet the project goals, critical success factors, and Purpose and Need.

  • Alternative 1: Replace the bridge along its current alignment.
  • Alternative 3: Connect Grand Avenue to 6th and Laurel with intersection changes at Laurel.

Participants at the open house were asked to consider how each of these met a range of concerns. They were also asked to provide input on the three intersection options for the 6th and Laurel area that are being considered for Alternative 3. The three options presented were:

  • Option A: Roundabout at 6th and Laurel for local traffic
  • Option D: T-intersection at 6th and Pine
  • Option E: Signal at 6th and Laurel for local traffic

Officials with CDOT, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the City of Glenwood Springs will use the feedback from the open house to help determine the alignment for the bridge. They expect to make a decision by early September. Following selection of the alignment, the project team is expected to focus on the type of bridge, how the bridge will be constructed, and other details that will be used in the EA being completed for the project.

Joe Elsen, CDOT’s Region 3 east program engineer, said, “The Glenwood Springs community has been very engaged in contributing ideas to this project through the extensive outreach and information program we have been conducting since last year. We have received so many good ideas that have shaped the alternatives. With the feedback we received on Wednesday night, the project team has the right information to recommend the alignment to be evaluated in the Environmental Assessment. As the process continues, we will be reaching out to the public to help us define the best possible alternative for a bridge that fits the unique context of Glenwood Springs.”

The Stakeholder Working Group (SWG), representing a broad range of interests and organizations in the Glenwood Springs area, met Wednesday afternoon before the open house to discuss the two alignment alternatives in more detail. The SWG evolved out of the Visioning Workshop held last December and has met three additional times to provide focused input on the EA study. The group considered opportunities to coordinate with and support community development initiatives and bike and pedestrian access around the Grand Avenue Bridge. They also looked at traffic circulation changes associated with the two alignment alternatives.

CDOT will continue to meet with the project stakeholders and interested groups. The study team provides regular updates to the Glenwood Springs City Council and the Garfield County Board of County Commissioners. Interested individuals and groups are encouraged to contact Joe Elsen to schedule a project briefing or presentation.

CDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) are conducting the EA. The Open House exhibits are part of the background information and documentation on the project that are posted at www.sh82grandavenuebridge.com. Those wanting to receive project updates can sign up via CDOT’s free message system by going to www.coloradodot.info and clicking on green cell phone in the upper right hand side of the page. After signing in, scroll down to “Projects” and choose “SH 82 Aspen to Glenwood.”

*The Colorado Bridge Enterprise is a government-owned business entity within CDOT. The Colorado General assembly created the statewide Bridge Enterprise via Senate Bill 09-108, also known as FASTER (Funding Advancements for Surface Treatment and Economic Recovery www.coloradodot.info/projects/faster). The purpose of the Bridge Enterprise is to complete designated bridge projects that involve the financing, repair, reconstruction and replacement of bridges designated as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, and rated “poor” by CDOT.