Bayfield town officials have talked about replacing the old, green bridges on Bayfield Parkway since 2011. It might actually happen in 2017.
Town Manager Chris La May announced at the Dec. 20 Town Board meeting that the town has received another $887,400 grant through Colorado Department of Transportation, and the project will hopefully go out for bid on Jan. 5, 2017.
Replacement of the bridges, which date to the early 1930s, was in the town plan to use part of $6.8 million that CDOT paid the town in 2011 to take over the Bayfield Parkway, previously called U.S. Highway 160B or the Business Route, from end to end.
About half the money has been used for other street-related projects, including a mill and overlay on the parkway.
The bridges are rated as functionally obsolete by CDOT, based on a point system. La May said that as of late 2014, the overflow bridge was rated as structurally obsolete as well.
The replacement cost was originally estimated at around $3 million. But in November 2014, La May told trustees the estimate had increased to $4.77 million, plus design, engineering and other costs that would bring it up to $5.2 million. He hoped the project could go out for bid in late summer 2015.
According to Times archives, the additional cost also included design for a bike/pedestrian path, environmental mitigation and clearances for the bridges and path, and independent peer review of Bechtolt Engineering’s work, which La May said in November 2014 was not required but could improve prospects for state and federal approvals.
In December 2014, La May reported that creating replacement habitat for the endangered Southwestern willow flycatcher, a small bird, would cost $80,000 to $100,000. Stretches of the Pine River are listed by the federal government as critical flycatcher habitat.
In January 2015, he advised that consideration also had to be given to nesting bald eagles, plus otters, brown trout and Townsend’s big-eared bats that might roost under the bridges. Those concerns were from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, he said.
Trustees approved mitigation plans in fall 2015, including buying replacement wetland credits in the Animas Valley north of Durango, and for willow flycatcher habitat.
Bridge complications also have included sewer and gas lines attached to the old bridges and inclusion of the pedestrian/bike path extension in the project. The path will go under the east end of the east bridge and will connect Eagle Park to Joe Stephenson Park. It will go north to Mill Street, then south to the park bathrooms and softball concession stand.
The growing cost estimate for the bridge replacement was previously tempered by two grants from CDOT, one for $707,000 in 2012, and one for $679,000 in 2013 for the bridges. The town also was awarded $261,000 from CDOT for the pedestrian/bike path.
La May told the Times this week that the cost estimates from late 2014 still hold. The $4.7 million is the actual construction estimate including the bike/pedestrian trail.
La May thanked Bechtolt Engineering and SME Environmental for their part in getting the project through the permitting and environmental issues.
“Whenever you’re working in the river corridor, the project is much more complex,” he said. “It has taken longer than expected to get to the point of advertisement, but we are excited to get the project out to bid and hope that the bids are favorable.”
