Roundabout detour in place next week for "Green" Dotsero Bridge Replacement Project

April 4, 2013 - Northwestern Colorado/CDOT Region 3 - Detour expected to last through June 2013 - EAGLE COUNTY — Beginning tomorrow, Friday, April 5, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will be implementing a temporary detour for traffic on Colorado River Road in Dotsero.

Motorists will be shifted onto a temporary roadway east of the existing road. The detour is expected to last through June 2013.

“The delays to motorists during the detour should be minimal,” said CDOT Engineer Peter Lombardi. “We will have flaggers on the roadway, so we encourage motorists to give crews room to safely do their work, and to drive Slow for the Cone Zone.”

Since September of last year, CDOT has been working on the bridge replacement project for the Dotsero “green” bridge located on the I-70 frontage road over the Colorado River in Dotsero. The existing structure, built in 1935, needs replacement because it no longer meets design standards and has become functionally and structurally obsolete. The new bridge will help better accommodate traffic flows and will increase safety for motorists. Work on the project is scheduled to last into October of 2013.

Crews have been constructing the new bridge south of the existing one and north of I-70. The existing Dotsero bridge will be used until the new bridge is constructed, at which time traffic will be switched over to the new structure. There will be minimal lane restrictions at the beginning of the project, as crews will not be working on the existing roadway except when they are moving equipment across the bridge and over Colorado River Road. Access to the Colorado River has been moved to Cotton Lane.

During construction, crews will be working from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Motorists can sign up for updates about the project at www.coloradodot.info, clicking on the green cell phone icon in the upper right hand corner of the page, and selecting “I-70 Green Dotsero Bridge” from the list of project. There is a website dedicated to the project that will be updated during major changes at www.coloradodot.info/projects/i70greendotserobridge. Motorists can also email the contractor’s public information officer at [email protected].

Edward Kraemer and Sons, Inc. of Castle Rock, CO is the contractor for this $6.2 million project that is funded through the Colorado Bridge Enterprise (CBE). The Colorado Bridge Enterprise (CBE) was formed in 2009 as part of the FASTER (Funding Advancement for Surface Transportation and Economic Recovery) legislation. The purpose of the CBE is to finance, repair, reconstruct and replace bridges designated as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, and rated in poor condition.

To receive real-time updates about road conditions in your area, visit www.coloradodot.info and click on the green cell phone icon in the upper right hand corner of the page. Updates are also available via Twitter @coloradodot and be sure to “Like” us on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/coloradodot.