26th Street bridge on schedule to reopen evening of Oct. 7

A worker (standing next to a construction truck) picks up cones and signs around 4:30 p.m. Oct. 7 that had been used to block off the 26th Street bridge in both directions while it was being repaired (starting Sept. 19). As predicted, the bridge reopened Oct. 7 - although restriping is still needed. As the photo indicates (looking north), the project included new paving from Highway 24 (the stoplight), across the bridge and north to Cucharras Street.
Westside Pioneer photo

26th Street bridge on schedule to reopen evening of Oct. 7 - UDPATE: It's open!

During 26th Street bridge repairs/upgrades by the contractor, TLM Constructors, a new concrete storm drain (replacing a corrugated metal pipe) is set into place at the northwest corner of the bridge. The elliptically shaped pipe is in a possibly hard to see, straight-on position in this photo, suspended from the backhoe's blade and in front of the man. In the background is the stoplight at 26th Street and Highway 24.

Westside Pioneer photo

UPDATE: Around 4 p.m., Oct. 7, the 26th Street bridge over Fountain Creek reopened to traffic, beating the Oct. 7 evening prediction (see below). A date to stripe the new pavement has not yet been announced.
       A scheduled 26th Street bridge repair, which has forced the half-century-old span to close to traffic since Sept. 19, is expected to reopen (as previously announced) Friday, Oct. 7.
       According to city project engineer Alex Pellegrino, the target is the evening of the seventh. “The only thing that could delay us is if we have really wet weather next week [the week of Oct. 2],” he elaborated.
       The work includes concrete patching, waterproofing, a pavement overlay and drainage inlet installation.
       Because the bridge was built in the early 1960s, the work has provided a few surprises. These are mainly “issues related to infrastructure that was put in to a different (outdated) standard and bringing those items up to the standards we work with today,” Pellegrino pointed out.

Three members of the TLM Constructors crew at the 26th Street bridge prepare a form for concrete that will be poured for a storm sewer upgrade as part of the repair project.

Westside Pioneer photo

The project has also been tied in with previously planned jobs by the city's Operations and Maintenance Department (formerly known as Streets) and the Police Department's Homeless Outreach (HOT) Team, Pellegrino said.
       O&M is doing “some much needed asphalt patching” on 26th Street, north of the project site, and the HOT Team cleaned out “materials and trash” from under the bridge, he said.
       Pellegrino summarized: “It is really convenient and efficient when we can work together and only impact the local citizens once.”
       The contractor is TLM Constructors, one of the city's on-call bridge maintenance contractors. The total project cost is about $150,000, paid out of Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority bridge maintenance funds.
       The two-lane bridge spans Fountain Creek, which parallels Colorado State Highway 24 at that point. 26th is the main access to Old Colorado

Concrete is poured for a sidewalk leading up to the east side of the 26th Street bridge. Photo looks north.

Westside Pioneer photo

City, which is about three blocks north of the highway.
The Sept. 19-Oct. 7 closure period for the project was determined after Pellegrino contacted Westside business and residential representatives to see what time window this fall would have the least adverse effect.

Westside Pioneer article
(Posted 9/30/16, updated 10/7/16; Transportation: Major Roads)

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