The Colorado Department of Transportation and its contracting partner, CapitalTezak Joint Venture, recently kicked off a two-year, $43 million project to replace 17 structurally deficient rural structures in southeastern Colorado.

[Above photo by the Federal Lands Highway]

Replacing those 17 bridges – located on Colorado Highway 9, United States Highway 24, and United States Highway 350 – should improve the safety and stability of those structures for motorists, while ensuring they can last for 100 years or more.

“Improvements to the 17 structures on these routes will help provide rural mobility, intrastate and interstate commerce distribution, movement of agricultural products and supplies and access to tourist destinations,” explained Shoshana Lew, Colorado DOT executive director, in a statement.

“We hope this project adds trip reliability and safety for its key users for years to come,” she said.

Construction on all 17 structures will not be simultaneous, the agency stressed.

Three structures will be replaced on CO 9 between Cañon City and Alma, five structures will be replaced on US 24 between Florissant and Antero Junction and nine structures will be replaced on US 350 between La Junta and Trinidad.

Crews will start work on multiple structures at a time on the plains region structures (US 350), while only working on one structure at a time on the mountain region structures (US 24/CO 9).

Construction on the plains region structures will occur over the course or a year, while construction on the mountain region structures may halt during the winter months.