One lane of traffic is available during emergency repair design work

May 15 UPDATE – The weight restriction on the County Road 108 bridge being limited to less than 24,000 pounds.

GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – Garfield County is temporarily reopening one lane of the bridge over the Crystal River on County Road 108 (Thompson Creek Road) near Carbondale while emergency repair options are assessed. For the open lane, vehicle traffic is limited to less than 24,000 pounds (UPDATED from 54,000), and no oversized or commercial semis are allowed. Stop lights are in place to regulate the flow of traffic. The pedestrian bridge is also open alongside the bridge.

Oddo Engineering and Con-Sy, Inc. construction contractors are looking at several repair options and will provide estimated costs to the county.

A large pothole appeared on the structure earlier this spring, and construction crews from Con-Sy removed asphalt from the bridge May 12, to get a better view of the decking. The corrugated metal decking showed corrosion and some eroded welds, which led to a “bounce” when vehicles passed over the bridge.

“Our top priority is the safety of the community. We are expediting repairs to get the road back open as quickly as possible for public use,” said Garfield County Road & Bridge Director Scott Marsh. 

Variable message boards are located on State Highway 133 in Carbondale; along County Roads 108 and 109; and at the junction of Dry Park and Four Mile roads to keep commuters updated on the current situation. Garfield County Road and Bridge staff is conducting traffic control during the repairs.

Updates are available on Garfield County’s website and at garfieldcountynews.org.

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.