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woodsguy
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*****US 50 Middle Bridge Information***** 4/26/2024
Significant additional resources in place as US 50 bridge inspection continues. Crews are making additional progress and watching for incoming weather.
Montrose, Gunnison and Hinsdale Counties —Crews are making progress on the inspection of the US Highway 50 bridge that crosses Blue Mesa Reservoir at Dillon Pinnacles. Lightweight scaffolding is now in place on the center span of the bridge which expands the methods workers can safely and easily reach the underside of the bridge. The local access route on County Road 26 continues to be in place along with regular maintenance and repairs to prevent damage to the road. CDOT has brought on Kiewit Infrastructure Co., a private sector construction contractor, to support inspection and repairs for the bridge, as well as work on CR 26. Kiewit crews have unique steel bridge expertise and capability to bring additional resources to the engineering teams on site at the bridge and on the local access detour route. At the bridge site, CDOT has also established improved communications coverage, including a web camera viewable on COtrip.org. Rain, snow and thunderstorms are in the forecast through the remainder of the week, and may affect inspection operations and the condition of CR 26.
The bridge was closed on Thursday, April 18 due to safety concerns about a crack identified during a special inspection. Crews are continuing the special inspection to identify if there are more structural concerns with the bridge.. It is critical that inspection work is safe for crews. Establishing access to all sections of the bridge has been time consuming and has required extensive logistics as only a limited amount of weight can be on certain sections of the bridge. CDOT is doing everything possible to keep crews safe while also accessing all parts of the bridge. Scaffolding is now in place to provide access to areas that previously were only accessible by crews harnessed to ropes. Scaffolding is lightweight while still providing enough support for crews to carry out other steps, such as paint removal and ultrasonic testing. Tarps are in place to catch paint or other debris from reaching the reservoir.
During this inspection process, additional areas of concern have been found since the middle bridge closed last Thursday, April 18. The severity of these concerns and the specific repairs that may be needed will be determined after ultrasonic testing results are confirmed. Ultrasonic testing reveals what defects are below the surface of the steel welds and inform key decisions for the bridge. As the inspection continues, engineering teams are working through potential repair options. The goal is to be prepared to carry out repairs as quickly and safely as possible. CDOT is working through multiple repair scenarios that are each being refined as testing is completed.
Kiewit is also assisting with daily road repair on County Road 26. The county road has limited infrastructure and must be regularly monitored and maintained to support commuter traffic in the mornings and evenings. As of Thursday evening, more than 3.5 miles of road base material had been placed on the roadway to maintain the local access route. Crews are closely watching incoming weather and are prepared to deal with any road damage that is worsened by wet and muddy conditions.
Commuters should continue to anticipate pilot car operations on County Road 26. Commercial vehicles exceeding a 16,001 gross vehicle weight rating are prohibited. Trailers of any kind are also prohibited from using this route. Aside from the limited morning and evening commuter hours, the road will remain closed at all other times for the ongoing restoration work needed to ensure the road remains safe for travel. Please see below for the County Road schedule.
CDOT has also placed communications equipment and cameras at the bridge, which can be viewed on COtrip using this link. Limited cell service should soon be available near the southern section of CR 26, which is remote.
CDOT and partner agencies held a virtual public meeting the evening of Tuesday, April 23, to provide the latest info to the community about the US 50 Blue Mesa bridge closure. The meeting was recorded and can be viewed in English at this link. CDOT is posting the Spanish language recording as soon as it is available.
Traffic Impacts
US 50 is closed between Montrose and Gunnison
Recommended alternate routes are I-70 to the north or US 160 to the south
A limited, local access route is in place for travel in place during the following designated travel times:
Westbound travel - 6:30 to 7:00 a.m. and 6:30 to 7:00 p.m.
Eastbound travel - 7:30 to 8:00 a.m. and 7:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Contact Information
For additional information:
Call the project information line at 970-648-4423
Email the project team at: us50bridge@gmail.com
Visit the project website at: bit.ly/us50bridge
Visit gunnisoncounty.org
Full release can be found here: https://mailchi.mp/codot/nw-cdot-ne...idge-inspection-continues-395615?e=5096b42048
Significant additional resources in place as US 50 bridge inspection continues. Crews are making additional progress and watching for incoming weather.
Montrose, Gunnison and Hinsdale Counties —Crews are making progress on the inspection of the US Highway 50 bridge that crosses Blue Mesa Reservoir at Dillon Pinnacles. Lightweight scaffolding is now in place on the center span of the bridge which expands the methods workers can safely and easily reach the underside of the bridge. The local access route on County Road 26 continues to be in place along with regular maintenance and repairs to prevent damage to the road. CDOT has brought on Kiewit Infrastructure Co., a private sector construction contractor, to support inspection and repairs for the bridge, as well as work on CR 26. Kiewit crews have unique steel bridge expertise and capability to bring additional resources to the engineering teams on site at the bridge and on the local access detour route. At the bridge site, CDOT has also established improved communications coverage, including a web camera viewable on COtrip.org. Rain, snow and thunderstorms are in the forecast through the remainder of the week, and may affect inspection operations and the condition of CR 26.
The bridge was closed on Thursday, April 18 due to safety concerns about a crack identified during a special inspection. Crews are continuing the special inspection to identify if there are more structural concerns with the bridge.. It is critical that inspection work is safe for crews. Establishing access to all sections of the bridge has been time consuming and has required extensive logistics as only a limited amount of weight can be on certain sections of the bridge. CDOT is doing everything possible to keep crews safe while also accessing all parts of the bridge. Scaffolding is now in place to provide access to areas that previously were only accessible by crews harnessed to ropes. Scaffolding is lightweight while still providing enough support for crews to carry out other steps, such as paint removal and ultrasonic testing. Tarps are in place to catch paint or other debris from reaching the reservoir.
During this inspection process, additional areas of concern have been found since the middle bridge closed last Thursday, April 18. The severity of these concerns and the specific repairs that may be needed will be determined after ultrasonic testing results are confirmed. Ultrasonic testing reveals what defects are below the surface of the steel welds and inform key decisions for the bridge. As the inspection continues, engineering teams are working through potential repair options. The goal is to be prepared to carry out repairs as quickly and safely as possible. CDOT is working through multiple repair scenarios that are each being refined as testing is completed.
Kiewit is also assisting with daily road repair on County Road 26. The county road has limited infrastructure and must be regularly monitored and maintained to support commuter traffic in the mornings and evenings. As of Thursday evening, more than 3.5 miles of road base material had been placed on the roadway to maintain the local access route. Crews are closely watching incoming weather and are prepared to deal with any road damage that is worsened by wet and muddy conditions.
Commuters should continue to anticipate pilot car operations on County Road 26. Commercial vehicles exceeding a 16,001 gross vehicle weight rating are prohibited. Trailers of any kind are also prohibited from using this route. Aside from the limited morning and evening commuter hours, the road will remain closed at all other times for the ongoing restoration work needed to ensure the road remains safe for travel. Please see below for the County Road schedule.
CDOT has also placed communications equipment and cameras at the bridge, which can be viewed on COtrip using this link. Limited cell service should soon be available near the southern section of CR 26, which is remote.
CDOT and partner agencies held a virtual public meeting the evening of Tuesday, April 23, to provide the latest info to the community about the US 50 Blue Mesa bridge closure. The meeting was recorded and can be viewed in English at this link. CDOT is posting the Spanish language recording as soon as it is available.
Traffic Impacts
US 50 is closed between Montrose and Gunnison
Recommended alternate routes are I-70 to the north or US 160 to the south
A limited, local access route is in place for travel in place during the following designated travel times:
Westbound travel - 6:30 to 7:00 a.m. and 6:30 to 7:00 p.m.
Eastbound travel - 7:30 to 8:00 a.m. and 7:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Contact Information
For additional information:
Call the project information line at 970-648-4423
Email the project team at: us50bridge@gmail.com
Visit the project website at: bit.ly/us50bridge
Visit gunnisoncounty.org
Full release can be found here: https://mailchi.mp/codot/nw-cdot-ne...idge-inspection-continues-395615?e=5096b42048
