Julie from Castle Rock writes, “What is driving you crazy? Why is CDOT not fixing the bridge paving job it did on Founders exit (east bound right most lane). I think 1-2 years ago CDOT did a lane expansion on the bridge but didn't pave the left lane appropriately. It has never been repaved.”
The short answer Julie is expect that lane to stay rough for several more years. Not months, years. The reason, CDOT tells me, is they don’t have the money right now to make it smoother.
That additional eastbound left lane was constructed on the Founders Parkway bridge over I-25 by taking out most of the raised median that had separated the two sides of traffic. That process became much more difficult than the contractor, who was doing the work, expected since the median wasn’t just plain old concrete. The workers found reinforcing steel in the median and it was strongly bonded to the bridge deck. The original construction was very well done so any modification to the original structure became more complicated.
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Stacia Sellers, CDOT Region 1 Communications Specialist told me they have done all they can right now with the money they have available. “Minor repairs were performed to fill the larger pock marks and provide a reasonable driving surface. A more extensive resurfacing of the bridge deck was cost prohibitive at the time. The current driving surface will be left in place a few years until the entire bridge deck can be rehabilitated”.
CDOT would like to make the road smoother, however, they believe there is a “reasonable driving surface” in place right now. Improving that driving surface is part of CDOT's 5-year plan. There is a gigantic list of maintenance projects CDOT wants to get to all over the state that falls within that 5-year plan. CDOT has a page dedicated to all the long term projects they would like to get to. You can read them for yourself on their 2040 Statewide Transportation Plan page.