Inspectors say the 27th Street Bridge in Glenwood Springs is one of the worst in the state. It’s not dangerous, but it does need a replacement, which crews will start work on in 2019.
Inspectors rank bridges out of 100; anything ranked under 80 is considered deficient. The 27th Street Bridge has a rating of 10.5. Jessica Bowser, an assistant engineer for Glenwood Springs, said the rating doesn’t mean the bridge is dangerous. It does, however, need a new deck and there is rusting on several of the beams. Bowser said the current bridge also isn’t the proper size or design to accommodate the level of traffic the city has seen in recent years.
Traffic flows, for the most part, won’t be impacted when crews start work on the new bridge. Drivers will use the current bridge; crews will build the new one next to it. In the summer of 2019, Browser said, crews will close down the bridge for a weekend, demolish it, and slide the new into place.
The new bridge will have a different design: The construction team will build a separate pedestrian bridge across the river. The current bridge has piers in the river, which will be taken out, so boaters don’t need to dodge around them when floating.
Crews will also build a roundabout on the Grand Avenue side of the river to better manage traffic.
