Bridge replacement project on US 6 begins near Eagle

July 17, 2019 - Northwestern Colorado

EAGLE, CO —The Colorado Department of Transportation and contractor, United Companies, announce the start of an important highway safety improvement project on Monday, July 22. The project will replace a bridge along US Highway 6, 1.8 miles east of the Town of Eagle. The current bridge, which carries motorists over Castle Creek, is 86 years old and in need of replacement. 

The project is designed to create better driving conditions for the approximately 3700 vehicles that use this stretch of US 6 every day. The designs of the new concrete culvert include wider shoulders to facilitate access in emergencies, new metal guardrails and a safer vertical alignment of the roadway over the culvert which improves driver sight distance on the highway. The new culvert is also expected to require less expensive maintenance than the bridge. 

The bridge replacement project begins the week of late July and it is scheduled for completion by early November 2019. Initially, minimal impacts to traffic are expected.  Motorists will notice pipework taking place in the shoulder as crews relocate drainage pipes and construct a new temporary roadway. In late August traffic will be switched on to the temporary roadway along the bridge. The construction of this temporary roadway minimizes the impact to traffic on US 6, and allows for a continuous flow of traffic while the current bridge is being removed and replaced. Periodic single lane closures will also occur throughout the project causing short delays. 

Normal working hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and work is possible on weekends. There will be no night work or work on holidays.

United Companies of Grand Junction is the contractor that was awarded the $3.6 million bid for this project by the Colorado Department of Transportation.

PROJECT INFORMATION

For additional information about this project, call the project information line at 970.528.9080, email the team at [email protected], or visit the Project website and sign up for updates. For information on travel conditions visit COTrip.org, sign up for GovDelivery, or call 511. Updates are also available via Twitter @coloradodot and CDOT’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/coloradodot.

REMEMBER: SLOW FOR THE CONE ZONE

The following tips are to help you stay safe while traveling through maintenance and construction work zones.

  • Do not speed in work zones. Obey the posted speed limits.

  • Stay Alert! Expect the unexpected.

  • Watch for workers. Drive with caution.

  • Don't change lanes unnecessarily.

  • Avoid using mobile devices such as phones while driving in work zones.

  • Turn on headlights so that workers and other drivers can see you.

  • Be especially alert at night while driving in work zones.

  • Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.

  • Allow ample space between you and the car in front of you.

  • Anticipate lane shifts and merge when directed to do so.

  • Be patient!

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Travelers are urged to “know before you go.” Gather information about weather forecasts and anticipated travel impacts and current road conditions prior to hitting the road. CDOT resources include:

WHOLE SYSTEM. WHOLE SAFETY.  

To heighten safety awareness, CDOT recently announced its Whole System — Whole Safety initiative. This project takes a systematic statewide approach to safety combining the benefits of CDOT’s programs that address driving behaviors, our built environment and the organization's operations. The goal is to improve the safety of Colorado’s transportation network by reducing the rate and severity of crashes and improving the safety of all transportation modes. The program has one simple mission—to get everyone home safely.

ABOUT CDOT

CDOT has approximately 3,000 employees located throughout Colorado, and manages more than 23,000 lane miles of highway and 3,429 bridges. CDOT also manages grant partnerships with a range of other agencies, including metropolitan planning organizations, local governments and airports. It also administers Bustang, the state-owned and operated interregional express service. Governor Polis has charged CDOT to further build on the state’s intermodal mobility options.