Rainbow Bridge Project Set to Start

March 19, 2016 - Southeastern Colorado/CDOT Region 2 - MANITOU SPRINGS — The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is closing a short segment of U.S. 24 Business for a few months, allowing extensive rehabilitation work to take place on the Rainbow Fall Bridge, at the west end of town.

Beginning on Monday, March 21, Manitou Avenue (Highway 24 Business) will be closed between the off-ramp from U.S. 24 to the roundabout at Serpentine Drive. It is expected to remain closed through June 2016. Drivers wanting to access Manitou Springs from Highway 24 will need to use Serpentine Drive, Washington Avenue, or the Manitou Avenue interchange.

“We need to complete this project first before we begin paving Manitou Avenue at the east end of town this fall,” said CDOT Resident Engineer Dave Watt. “The best time to begin the project is now, while the traffic numbers are at their lowest point. The sooner we can get started rehabbing the bridge, the sooner we’ll have the business route at the west end reopened to traffic this summer.”

Rehabilitating the bridge includes repairing the existing concrete deck surface, installing new bridge rails, repairing damaged guard rail, and reinforcing the underlying floor beams, arches, columns, and piers.

Wildcat Construction Co., Inc. is the contractor for the $1.9 million project.

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