US 40 Elk River Bridge Replacement

October 4, 2013 - PROJECT UPDATE - Northwestern Colorado/CDOT Region 3 - ROUTT COUNTY – The Colorado Department of Transportation’s project to replace the US 40 Elk River Bridge west of Steamboat Springs remains on target for a November completion.

Currently, crews are preparing the bridge deck for a concrete pour this coming Monday, weather permitting.

In late September a 600-ton crane (photo at http://www.coloradodot.info/projects/us40elkriver) with a 20-story boom height picked up and placed 14 girders that weigh 130,000 lbs. each, measure 100 feet long and arrived on 14 separate tractor trailers.

Remaining work into November will include the following:

  • Pour bridge deck/wing walls
  • Construct curbs
  • Tie in highway approaches
  • Bridge rails and guardrails
  • Asphalt paving and striping
  • Remove temporary bridge
  • Final grading and re-vegetation

TRAVEL IMPACTS: Up until the final traffic switch to the new bridge, motorists will be using the temporary bridge, which has a single lane in each direction. At times, traffic will be in a single-lane, alternating configuration; the speed limit is reduced and up to 10-minute delays are possible.

The Elk River Bridge on US 40 was built in 1958 and was identified for replacement in 2010 due to its poor rating. Its replacement is funded through the Colorado Bridge Enterprise (CBE) Duckles Construction, Inc. is the contractor for this $3.1 million project, which is funded through the Colorado Bridge Enterprise (CBE).*

For information on this project, the public may call the information line at: (970) 846-2446 or write to [email protected]. The bridge web site is http://www.coloradodot.info/projects/us40elkriver. For information on other CDOT projects statewide, the public may call 511, log ontowww.cotrip.org or sign up for project/road condition updates in any given area by going to www.coloradodot.info and choosing the green phone icon in the upper-right corner.

*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. This additional transportation funding is essential to maintaining and improving the safety of our bridges.