CDOT Begins Project to Replace US 24 Bridge over UPRR in Johnson Village

March 21, 2014 - Southwestern Colorado/CDOT Region 5 - CHAFFEE COUNTY, CO - The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and Lawrence Construction Company of Littleton, CO, announce the beginning of the US 24 Bridge Replacement Project over the Union Pacific Railroad in Johnson Village on Monday, March 24. Construction will continue through June 2014.

The $1.4 million project—funded through the Colorado Bridge Enterprise*—will replace the deficient bridge, which was built in 1937 and now rated in poor condition. Replacement of the bridge will increase safety and offer a new service life of 50-plus years.

The bridge is located between Johnson Village and the US 24/US 285 junction. Crews will construct each half of the new structure on either side of the existing bridge, so that the existing bridge can remain in operation during the majority of the work. To “slide” the new halves in place, crews will demolish one half of the existing bridge at a time, route single-lane, alternating traffic onto the new half, then do the same on the other side. The new bridge will have wider shoulders and improved guardrails, among other upgraded features.

TRAVEL IMPACTS: Motorists can expect mostly off-road work, with some periodic single-lane, alternating traffic. There may be some weekend work, as necessary. Thank you for going Slow for the Cone Zone!

PROJECT INFORMATION LINE: For information about this project or to leave a message, call the project information line at (303) 358-0632 (a local line will be established and announced later in the week). CDOT projects statewide, log on to www.cotrip.org or call 511 from anywhere in the state. 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. Information about weekly lane closures will be available at www.coloradodot.info/travel/scheduled-lane-closures.html.

*FASTER (or Senate Bill 09-108, Funding Advancements for Surface Treatment and Economic Recovery) generates funding comprised of car rental fees and weight-based vehicle registration fees. FASTER directs money to safety-improvement projects, and also to the Colorado Bridge Enterprise (CBE), a government-owned business entity within CDOT. The Colorado General assembly created the Colorado Bridge Enterprise (http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/BridgeEnterprise) to complete bridge projects that involve the financing, repair, reconstruction and replacement of bridges designated as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, and rated “poor” by CDOT.