Quickly repairing bridges to reconnect Colorado communities

At a Glance

  • $94M

    Construction Value

Location
Colorado
Offices
Client
  • CDOT
Partners
  • Gunnison County
  • Montrose
  • Sapinero

The Bridges of Blue Mesa - Rehabilitation

Colorado’s bridges can see a lot of traffic. Local residents, dam workers, emergency responders, and tourists cross them daily, but vehicles suddenly came to a halt in one community. Bridge inspectors had found a crack in one of the Blue Mesa Bridge’s T1-steel beams (caused by faulty welding techniques in the 1960s and ‘70s). Nearby Lake Fork Bridge also needed repairs, so inspectors promptly closed the bridges. A 75-minute commute turned into a seven-hour journey—so repairs needed to happen fast! The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) reached out for help, and we were the first to respond.

We quickly put together a construction management team tasked to lead the emergency rehabilitation, design, and construction oversight that included construction inspection and materials testing. We coordinated among different agencies, managed schedules to keep work going 24/7, even when lanes were opened for essential traffic, and kept all shifts informed of changes over the duration of the project. Repairs encompassed bolting of platting onto existing girders and weld, deck, and other bridge repairs. More than 40,000 bolts were drilled into the girders to provide additional strength.

Just three months into rehabilitation efforts, portions of the bridges reopened, with permanent repairs completed four months later—getting the community back into the driver’s seat and on their way.

At a Glance

  • $94M

    Construction Value

Location
Colorado
Offices
Client
  • CDOT
Partners
  • Gunnison County
  • Montrose
  • Sapinero

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