How Many Worn Out Bridges In Colorado Look Like This?
Did you know Colorado has 481 bridges that are listed in "poor" condition?
Emergency Repair On Interstate 70
Recent emergency repairs on Interstate 70's Floyd Hill west of Denver illustrates the great need Colorado has to conduct extensive bridge repair across the state. Last week a large pothole was discovered in the westbound lane of I-70 and a team was immediately sent out to make repairs.
Fortunately, in this case, the damage was to the bridge deck and not the structure itself. CDOT says the bridge is safe for traffic but needs to be replaced. CDOT is working on a schedule to rebuild this stretch of the I-70 mountain corridor.
418 Colorado Bridges In Poor Condition
The state of Colorado is actually getting $225 million in funding from the federal government dedicated to bridge repair - much of which will be done on I-70. When it comes to something like bridge repair, $225 million doesn't go very far. Exactly which Colorado bridges get attention remains to be seen.
Reportedly, Colorado has 481 bridges in "poor" condition and another 5,000 in "fair" condition, which is fairly alarming because we are never going to have the money to do all the repairs that are necessary. In some cases, only minor repairs are needed, but, in a lot of cases, major structural repairs are needed.
We always get irritated when traffic is diverted or slowed because of bridge and road work, but repairs and the inconveniences that go along with them are simply one of life's necessary evils. The work has to be one and we need to make sure our bridges are safe.