“Some minor punch-list items (streetlights, off-site irrigation, landscaping, painting and touch-up work) will continue for a week or two, but access to the bridge will remain fully open,” states a press release from Carrie McCausland of City Public Communications.
For more than two years, the span over Conejos Street and the railroad tracks had either been closed or offered only two lanes - the result of safety issues with the previous structure.
“The Cimarron bridge, like the Bijou bridge to the north [built last year in the I-25 widening project], is a gateway into downtown and the Westside of Colorado Springs,” commented Commissioner and Westside business owner Sallie Clark. “These two bookends now serve as attractive entryways. Even more importantly, the community has two east-west connections now restored for years to come.”
The contractors were CH2M Hill (for design) and Lawrence Construction (for construction). The $8.57 million project was funded chiefly by funds from the Pikes Peak Rural Transpor-tation Authority (RTA).
The project managers were Robin Kidder of City Engineering and Dino Bakkar, contracted through Nolte and Associates.
Westside Pioneer/press release