Westbound Mulberry Street open tonight; bridge girder delivery complete

Since Monday night, a total of 40 girders were delivered by truck convoy from Littleton and placed on the new bridge substructure. Between 8 to 12 girders were set each night.

To ensure crew and motorist safety, the full closure of westbound Mulberry Street was the most effective and least disruptive way to accomplish the work in a short period of time. Eastbound Mulberry Street traffic was unaffected by this road closure. The eastbound detour has been in place for three months.

Installing the Phase 1 girders is a major milestone for the project.

Background:

Originally built in 1949, the existing bridge is structurally deficient and warrants replacement as part of the Colorado Bridge Enterprise (CBE). The existing bridge will be replaced with one that is wider to meet current standards, accommodate bicycle lanes and provide sidewalks for pedestrians. CDOT will also construct new retaining walls and storm sewer, an improved 10-foot wide path under the east side of the bridge, as well as reconstruct the east access to the Waste Water Treatment plant.

This project will be coordinated with a separate project that will relocate the pedestrian/trail bridge from the project site. Unfortunately, many of Colorado's bridges are in disrepair or poor condition (more than 120 across the state), many of which are used every day. Replacing this bridge will not only create a safer ride for motorists, but also create a more efficient transportation system to support economic and job growth in the area.

The total cost of the construction project is approximately $9.6 million. Funds will be part of the Colorado Bridge Enterprise (CBE), which 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 allowing CDOT to better maintain and improve the safety of our bridges.

The active construction zone is between Riverside Avenue and South Lemay Avenue. This 0.3 mile stretch of State Highway 14 is used by approximately 25,000 vehicles per day.

The best way to stay up to date on project progress and impacts is to sign up for email and text alerts. Go to CDOT’s website at www.coloradodot.info and click on the green cell phone icon in the upper right hand corner of the page. Enter your information and choose “SH 14 Over Poudre River” under the “Projects” list.

Visit the project website at http://www.coloradodot.info/projects/SH14PoudreRiver for more information including the latest Poudre River Trail closures and detours.

If you have questions or concerns, please leave a message on the project information line at 970-889-6950 or send an email to: [email protected].