For the third time in the last two years, Colorado Department of Transportation will be performing maintenance on the bridge just south of the DoubleTree Hotel intersection.
Motorists can expect delays on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The goal of next week’s maintenance is to solve a reoccurring issue with one of the bridge’s expansion joints, said CDOT spokeswoman Adair Christensen.
In July 2022, CDOT road and bridge crews noticed the structure was not expanding and contracting appropriately. Crews built a temporary replacement for the expansion joint.
Last October, CDOT crews conducted preliminary groundwork, which involved cutting into the road across the entire span of the bridge to pour new concrete panels to hold the new joint.
Bridges made of concrete expand and contract slightly for a number of reasons, including temperature changes, shrinkage of the concrete, settlement, ice and even the weight of vehicles.
To maintain a continuous surface between the road and the bridge, the expansion joint enables the bridge to expand and contract as needed during temperature swings.
October’s work was the first of a two-step process, Christensen said. However, timing and weather were not ideal last fall to finish the project, which includes the installation of a new rubber expansion joint.
CDOT has elected to move away from steel expansion joints because the rubber allows for better expansion and contraction under varying weather conditions.
“The weather last fall was not cooperating and they need warmer and drier conditions to set that joint,” Christensen said.
With warmer temperatures approaching, CDOT crews felt it was the perfect time to finish the project, Christensen said.
“Hopefully after the work this week, we won't have to be back in there as frequently,” she said. “The process to get that permanent expansion joint in was, unfortunately, an ongoing process. It's just hard to work around the weather and all the traffic.”
CDOT tries to schedule maintenance during non-commuting hours. Bridge work will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Motorists can expect limited lanes and lane shifts guided by flaggers, cones and signage. CDOT advises motorists and pedestrians to seek an alternative route, if possible.
Drivers are urged to watch for workers and their equipment, slow down and drive with extreme caution. Pedestrians on the Animas River Trail may be guided by flaggers during periods of heavy construction.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
