Detours begin Dec. 27 at I-25 and Butte Creek for bridge demolition

December 19, 2018 - Crews have installed detour pavement for southbound traffic before Exit 59 on I-25

Huerfano County, CO – The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and contractor, TLM Constructors of Swink and Greeley, will begin rerouting southbound I-25 traffic just before Exit 59 onto detour pavement on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018.

The detour has been installed in preparation for the demolition and replacement of the southbound bridge designated as N-17-BN. The detour will remain in effect through April 2019, or completion of Phase I of this year-long project. Phase II will entail the demolition and replacement of the northbound bridge at the same location and is expected to begin in May 2019.

This safety-critical project was given top priority by CDOT and the Bridge Enterprise Program to replace two 60-year old structures with leading-edge technology and materials to meet increased traffic demands along the I-25 corridor.

DETOUR LOCATION

Southbound I-25 traffic from MP 58 to MP 59 before Exit 59, just north of Walsenburg, will be detoured across new median pavement onto the left northbound lane of I-25, starting on Thursday, Dec. 27. Width restrictions of 12 feet will be imposed.

CONFIGURATION OF DETOUR PAVEMENT

The center median of I-25 has been converted to paved road from MP 58 to MP 59 to accommodate the bridge demolition and construction. Southbound traffic will switch to the detour pavement onto the left northbound lane of I-25 and will be routed back onto I-25 southbound after the construction zone.

BRIDGE DEMOLITION – DETOURS AND CLOSURES

Demolition of the southbound bridge will take three days and is scheduled to take place Jan. 7, 8, and 9, 2019. During demolition, there will be no access to Huerfano County Road 103 (CR 103) under the bridges at Exit 59 for three days. We apologize for this inconvenience, and encourage residents and businesses in the area to use either of these alternate routes to access I-25:

  • To access westbound CR 103 from northbound I-25 will require taking Exit 60, heading south on I-25, and taking Exit 59.

  • To access eastbound CR 103 from southbound I-25 will require taking Exit 56, then heading north on I-25 to Exit 59.

CR 103 will reopen on January 10, 2019 as a one-lane, signal controlled road. Width restrictions of 12 feet will be imposed.

WIDTH RESTRICTIONS AND TRAVEL IMPACTS

The replacement of the southbound bridge at Exit 59 will last until April 2019. The following detours and travel impacts will be in place:

  • Southbound I-25 traffic will be routed onto the detour pavement from MP 58 to MP 59 just before Exit 59 through April 2019.

  • Width restrictions of 12 feet will be strictly imposed on the detour pavement and on CR 103.

  • Northbound I-25 traffic will be reduced to one lane (right lane).

  • Exit 59 will be open both north and southbound I-25.

  • CR 103 will be maintained as a one-lane, signal controlled road during the entire duration of the project (except for 3 days during bridge demolition, as noted above).

  • Traffic control personnel and flaggers will be onsite at all times during construction activities.

  • Detours, access to CR 103, lane closures, and other traffic notices will be posted a week in advance on COTrip.org.

  • The public may call the project hotline at 719.243.9195 at any time for information on the project, travel impacts, or access issues.

PROJECT SCHEDULE

The project kicked off on Thursday, Nov. 1 and is expected to last until Oct. 30, 2019. Phase I (detours/demolition and replacement of the southbound bridge) will begin Dec. 27, 2018 and run through April 2019. Phase II (demolition and replacement of the northbound bridge) will begin in May 2019.

The construction schedule is as follows:

  • Working hours are Mon. to Fri. 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

  • Some Saturday work is expected to meet scheduling demands.

  • No Sunday work is expected.

PROJECT INFORMATION

Get direct email announcements and updates by signing up at [email protected]. For additional information about this project, call the local project information line at 719.243.9195, or visit the project website at https://www.codot.gov/projects/i-25-butte-creek-bridge-replacement. For information on travel conditions, detours or lane closures, please visit COTrip.org, or call 511. Updates are also available via Twitter @coloradodot and CDOT’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/coloradodot.