Asphalt was removed from the damaged side of the County Road 108 Thompson Creek Bridge Tuesday. Spots on the underlying steel deck revealed some erosion has occurred to the metal, and engineers are inspecting the deck to assess stability.
Parking in the vicinity of the bridge on either side is not available at this time, with private properties bordering the bridge and little easement along the road.
Pedestrian access is available to cross the bridge for residents in the immediate area.
Updates will be broadcast daily before 7 a.m. on KMTS and are linked from KMTS.com. Subscribe to email notifications at Garfield County News in the upper right side menu, or visit the main Garfield County website.
Work ramped up Monday on the Thompson Creek County Road 108 bridge safety repairs.
Construction teams moved equipment in and began work on the damaged side of the bridge Monday. Crews began removal of asphalt from the deck to inspect the condition of the bridge.
Vehicles were allowed through when possible yesterday, and complete closure of the bridge begins today at 7:30 a.m.
Residents should NOT plan to park along County Road 108 in the vicinity of the bridge on either side. Private properties align both sides of the county road, and there is no space for parked vehicles during bridge construction.
Updates will be broadcast daily before 7 a.m. on KMTS and audio reports are available on the KMTS website. Subscribe to email notifications at Garfield County News in the upper right side menu, or visit Garfield County to view updates.
Thompson Creek Road bridge spans the Crystal River near Carbondale
GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – Garfield County is moving forward with critical safety repairs of the bridge over the Crystal River on County Road 108 (Thompson Creek Road) near Carbondale. A large pothole has formed on the bridge, necessitating its closure for an engineering assessment and emergency repair work.
The bridge will be closed to all vehicle traffic for an undetermined time during further assessment and repair work. The pedestrian walkway is expected to remain open during repairs, and diligence in safe crossing while equipment is on the bridge is advised.
The goal of the county and the contractor is to facilitate necessary repairs and reopen the bridge to traffic as soon as reasonably possible, with the least traffic impact.
The county has contracted with Con-Sy Inc. for the repair work, which begins on Monday, May 11. Teams will assess the bridge’s condition early next week and form a plan to ensure the bridge’s condition for the traffic it sustains.
Electronic signage with updates is being stationed around the affected area and commuters are advised to plan alternate travel routes during repairs.
A report from Oddo Engineering noted that the delaminated asphalt encompasses a section that is three feet wide by seven feet long and located six feet from the center of the bridge/pier on the east side span of the roadway. The report added that the underside of the deck appeared to be in good condition, with some minor corrosion on the 12-gauge corrugated metal deck.
The bridge deck welding has come undone in the damaged section, creating a bounce when vehicles passed over the structure. The bounce can then weaken other welds, explained Garfield County Road and Bridge Director Scott Marsh.
“They’ll take the asphalt all the way down to the bridge deck and reweld where we’ve had the bridge deck bouncing,” Marsh told the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). “They’ll check everything and reweld anything that needs it and have that inspected and come back with asphalt over the top.”
Garfield County Road and Bridge staff is conducting traffic control, saving the county roughly $40,000, he added.
The BOCC unanimously approved a capital supplement from the road and bridge fund for the emergency repairs in an amount not to exceed $131,650.
Updates will be available on Garfield County’s website.
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