CDOT Starts I-25 & Butte Creek Bridge Replacement Work Nov. 1

HUERFANO COUNTY—On Thursday, Nov. 1, crews will begin demolishing and replacing two bridges at I-25 and Butte Creek, at exit 59. The team also will upgrade ancillary structures and improve the road.

This project was given top-tier priority by CDOT and the Bridge Enterprise Program, which earmarks funding for bridges and structures in need of repair or replacement.

Project Info

This project entails replacing two bridges, as well as highway and drainage work to accommodate the new structures.

• The first bridge is on southbound I-25 over Butte Creek and County Road 640 (N-17-BN), and the second is northbound I-25 over Butte Creek and County Road 103 (N-17-S).
• Each bridge crosses over Butte Creek, as well as the frontage road, Huerfano County Road 103.
• Area inlets are in the median between the northbound and southbound lanes of I-25, which will be upgraded to accommodate the bridge and roadway improvements.
• There are few drainage structures in the project area, as drainage is largely conveyed via median and roadside ditches.
• Environmental controls will be in place to protect wetlands, culverts and vegetation, and to mitigate soil erosion and pollutants at the site.

Purpose & Benefits

The new bridges and roadway improvements are necessary to meet current Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)) bridge structure, load and safety guidelines.

Built in 1958 of prestressed concrete, the bridges will be reconstructed with new reinforced concrete and steel to maximize longevity and structural integrity, and support increased traffic demands along the I-25 corridor into the future.

Location

Work will take place at I-25 and Butte Creek at approximately mile point 58.7, at exit 59, north of the Town of Walsenburg, in Huerfano County. Work will be performed in two phases:

1. Phase 1 will consist of replacing the bridge in the southbound direction at I-25 over Butte Creek and County Road 640 (N-17-BN).
2. Phase II will begin in spring 2019 to replace the bridge on northbound I-25 over Butte Creek and Huerfano County Road 103 (N-17-S).

Schedule

The project will begin on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018, and is expected to last until Oct. 30, 2019. The initial period from Nov. 1 to 21 entails installing detour pavement for both phases, and will operate under the following short-term schedule:

• Working hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day through Nov. 26.
  • No work is scheduled/expected Nov. 22 and 23.
• After Nov. 26, the construction schedule will resume normal hours as follows:
  • 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Fridays

Travel Impacts

CDOT anticipates the following travel impacts for this project:

• Phase I (a): Nov. 1 to Nov 21, 2018
  Lane closures and traffic shifts south and northbound along I-25 at Exit 59
• Phase I (b): Nov. 26, 2018 to April 2019
  Lane closures and traffic shifts southbound along I-25 at Exit 59, before the Walsenburg exit
• Phase II: May 2019 to November 2019
  Lane closures and traffic shifts northbound along I-25 at the Butte Creek Exit 59, just north of the Town of Walsenburg

Huerfano County Road 103 will be maintained as a one-lane, signal-controlled road throughout the project.

Traffic control personnel and flaggers will be on-site at all times.

Detours, lane closures and other traffic notices will be posted a week in advance on COTrip.org.