Critical Bridges

The I-270 corridor includes 19 existing structures. Eight of these bridges, known as the Critical Bridges, have been previously identified as having exceeded their design life. These bridges are located on the west end of the I-270 corridor between Vasquez Boulevard and York Street and include the I-270 bridges over the South Platte River; Burlington Ditch; Brighton Boulevard, Union Pacific Railroad, and BNSF Railway; and the 60th Avenue and BNSF Railway.

Upon recent review of all structures, four additional bridges located at 56th Avenue, York Street, and Vasquez Boulevard over Sand Creek, were identified as reaching the end of their useful life. Bridges at the end of their useful life require substantially more maintenance and repairs to maintain safe operations.

In the last 10 years, CDOT has conducted 160 planned maintenance activities and 65 emergency maintenance repairs. These emergency repairs often require lane closures, commonly during peak travel times, which result in more congestion, slower speeds, longer travel times and safety concerns for the traveling public and maintenance personnel.

Repairs are becoming more frequently needed as bridge conditions have deteriorated. In 2023, CDOT completed a preventative bridge repair project that resurfaced six of the eight bridges on I-270 in the worst condition. The driving surface and safety of these bridges are greatly improved to address immediate deficiencies, though the bridges are still at the end of their useful lives. Visit the I-270 Bridge Preventative Maintenance Page for additional information on those efforts.

Maintenance and repairs will be on-going during the I-270 Corridor Improvements Study. Once the environmental study is complete, replacing deficient bridges will be a top priority for the project’s first construction phase.