GOLDEN, Colo. — Dean from Lakewood writes, “What’s driving you crazy? Looking at the bridge from 6th Ave that flies over I-70 going west, it’s disintegrating on the east face and looks dangerous. It looks sheared off and concrete has fallen exposing rebar all along that side of the bridge. It does not look good to me. Can you tell me about this and what’s being done to address this crumbling overpass.”
Crumbing is a good description, especially when you are looking up at the bridge when driving under it along 6th Ave. The latest bridge inspection report lists the structure in “fair” condition but as you can see from the pictures I took of the east and west facing side of the bridge, large chunks of concrete have come off revealing the structural rebar.
“The missing concrete does not pose a safety issue with the structure,” one CDOT engineer told me. “The steel reinforcement which the concrete is protecting is the structural component of the bridge, which is in safe condition.
Even so, CDOT said the condition of the flyover lead them to determine the structure is in need of essential repairs in the short term. I’m told there are talks underway about replacing the entire structure. CDOT told me, unfortunately, there isn’t a complete replacement project on the horizon at this time.
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What is distressing is looking at the location of where these chunks of concrete are missing. Some are right above lanes of traffic along 6th Ave. I asked CDOT engineers, even though the structure is safe to drive on, is it safe for drivers on 6th Ave. to drive under it if there is a possibility that a chunk of concrete could fall on a vehicle?
“CDOT routinely inspects and monitors the bridge on a regular frequency, as well as evaluates the concrete monthly," the agency told me. "If it is determined that any of the concrete is separating from the structure and could pose a risk to the traveling public then CDOT maintenance immediately removes that unsound concrete. There have not been any instances of concrete falling from the bridge onto active traveled lanes to our knowledge.”
The bridge is the same age as me, constructed in 1969. It received a “poor” rating during its last inspection in 2024. CDOT told mee a “poor” rating does not mean the bridge is unsafe. It means there is more widespread deterioration due to the age and wear and tear of the bridge and it will eventually need significant repair work including rehabilitation of the missing concrete, a deck replacement or even a full replacement.
What is next for this bridge? Once CDOT identified this structure as needing essential repairs, they started to look at what improvements could be accomplished right now. Next, they will be making some short-term repairs, performed by the CDOT Bridge Maintenance crew. CDOT has already done some pre-scoping work to determine the next step in that repair workflow. All the while, talks continue with the engineering team about the long-term rehabilitation or replacement of the bridge. However, CDOT said funding has not been identified at this time to do that work.
Denver7 Traffic Expert Jayson Luber says he has been covering Denver-metro traffic since Ben-Hur was driving a chariot. (We believe the actual number is over 25 years.) He's obsessed with letting viewers know what's happening on their drive and the best way to avoid the problems that spring up. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or listen to his award winning Driving You Crazy podcast on any podcast app including iTunes, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Podbean, or YouTube.
WHAT'S DRIVING YOU CRAZY? DENVER7'S JAYSON LUBER ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS.
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