Michigan River Bridge Replacement Project Restarting After Winter Hold

JACKSON COUNTY – The Michigan River Bridge replacement project on State Highway (SH) 125, located one mile north of Walden, will resume on Monday, April 29, 2013 with construction and traffic management through June 2013. The project, which is replacing a structurally deficient bridge to improve motorist safety began in fall 2012, and is ahead of schedule for completion at this time.

In the next couple of weeks, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will mobilize equipment and crews so they can begin a short construction season of approximately two months. Weather permitting, crews will construct northbound and southbound detours around the construction site, requiring a traffic shift the week of Monday, May 6. Travel via the detour will require restrictions that will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days a week. The speed limit through the work zone will be reduced to 35 MPH, a 10 feet wide load restriction and a weight limit restriction of 85,000 pounds will be in place.

With the detour in place, crews will remove the existing bridge, build the roadway on top of the box culvert constructed last season, pave and perform touch up work such as striping, removal of the detour and revegetation of the area. Traffic should return to its original alignment in late May, as weather permits. All work on the project is expected to complete in June 2013.

The Michigan River Bridge was built in 1937 and was deemed structurally deficient in a 2009 audit of Colorado bridges. This $1.5 million bridge project, contracted to American Civil Constructors, Inc. (ACC) is funded by CDOT and the Federal Highway Administration.

Businesses and residents are encouraged to sign up for periodic updates at [email protected]. This email system will be used to alert recipients to any significant project activities or unscheduled delays.    Additional information can be retrieved through the project information office at 970-409-9548 or by contacting ACC’s public information officer, Jody Randall, directly at 720-244-7312.

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