Mulberry Bridge closed for five nights next week for girder installation
During the night work, westbound Mulberry Street traffic will be detoured at Lemay Avenue to bypass the road closure. Two signed detours will be provided: Trucks will use northbound Lemay Avenue to westbound Lincoln Avenue to southbound Riverside Avenue; all other vehicles will use southbound Lemay Avenue to northbound Riverside Avenue.
Eastbound Mulberry Street traffic will remain unaffected by this road closure. The eastbound detour has been in place since September 2014.
The road will reopen each morning in time for the morning commute. Girder placement is expected to be complete by 6 a.m. Saturday, May 23.
The girders, which are part of the bridge superstructure, will be delivered to the work zone beginning each afternoon and overnight for five nights (Monday, May 18 through Friday, May 22). Each girder will be lifted and set in place by crane.
By performing this work overnight, crews can expedite delivery and placement within a secure and larger work zone. The safety of the crews and motorists is extremely important. It is necessary to minimize potential conflicts between a safety-critical construction operation and the public.
Girder lengths range from approximately 60 to 80 feet long; a total of 60 girders will be set for phase 2 bridge work, which is underway on the south side of highway. Installing the Phase 2 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.
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 Lemay Avenue. This 0.3 mile stretch of State Highway 14 is used by approximately 25,000 vehicles per day.
Visit the project website at http://www.codot.gov/projects/
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].
