Eastern Plains Timber Bridge Replacement Newsletter

The Colorado Department of Transportation and Lawrence Construction recently started a timber bridge replacement project on U.S. Highway 34 (Mile Point 198.84) approximately two miles east of Colorado Highway 63/Cedar Avenue.

Daily lane closures with flaggers alternating traffic are expected for several months while the contractor removes the bridge and replaces it with a large concrete box culvert. General work hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. with occasional extended hours and weekend work.

A vehicle width restriction is in place from MP 198 to 207. No loads over 12 feet wide are permitted through August 31, 2023.

An extended weekend full closure of US 34 between County Road EE and CR GG is necessary from 12 p.m. Friday, April 28 to 9 a.m. Monday, May 1 when the bridge is demolished and replaced with the concrete box culvert. Closure information will be posted in advance on message boards near the work zone. Crews will work extended hours including overnight shifts to complete the work as quickly as possible. Construction is weather-dependent, and this schedule is subject to change.

Two signed detour routes will be provided. US 34 through traffic and commercial vehicles will detour north to Interstate 76 between CO 63 in Akron and CO 61 in the Town of Otis. The secondary detour route, which is intended for local traffic only, will direct traffic to detour around the work zone on gravel roads (CR EE, CR 41 and CR GG).

The US 34 bridge east of Akron is the sixth of ten timber bridges throughout the region to be replaced. The project is in the middle of the second phase, which replaces two US 34 bridges in Washington County between Akron and Otis in addition to a US 6 bridge in Morgan County that was replaced last year.