GARFIELD COUNTY – Crews are removing more asphalt from the County Road 108 (Thompson Creek) bridge today in preparation for placing the layers of new steel for the deck. The lane where work will be done needs to be widened, to allow for the dual steel sheets that will make up the two travel lanes over the bridge to be mounted on a center girder. The steel must be shipped in lane widths to fit on trucks traveling to the bridge location.

The steel production facility has indicated the steel shipment will arrive Wednesday. A slight delay occurred due to a machinery malfunction at the plant.

Engineering review of girder integrity will take place after the steel arrives. For safety, and faster installation of the new steel, the current bridge deck will not be removed until the new steel arrives. When the existing steel decking is removed, there will be no surface for crossing the structure.

The pedestrian walkway remains open over the CR108 bridge, though temporary delays may occur to ensure public safety near welding, and active machinery and equipment.

Detour routes for the Glenwood Springs side include County Road 109 to Highway 82 near Ironbridge/Westbank; or Dry Park Road to County Road 117 (Four Mile) to Glenwood Springs. Carbondale traffic is recommended to use highways 133 and 82.

Updates are posted online at garfieldcountynews.org, which allows email subscriptions, and garfieldcountyco.gov, the main county website.

The CR108 Thompson Creek bridge is closed to vehicle traffic for the next few phases of repairs.

Crews are preparing deconstruction of the old deck, which makes up the structural aspect of the driving lanes of the bridge. Some areas have already been cut out to access girder attachments, and the entire deck will be removed and a new one installed.

After the steel deck arrives, equipment will have to work from one lane over to the other side where installation is occurring. This precludes vehicle travel across it.

The county allocated funds and purchased the materials on an emergency basis to speed the process. New, thicker, 7-gauge steel decking is expected to arrive within the next couple of weeks, and was fabricated and purchased in the United States.

The timeline of repairs is dependent on steel material delivery, weather for asphalt application, and speed of crews for installation. The county’s goal remains to reopen it as soon as safely possible.

The pedestrian bridge is expected to remain open at almost any time, and extra welding is shoring it up to sustain it during the work phases. There may be times when welding or other work is occurring on the walkway side, such as when lifting the steel plates off the structure and new ones into place, when it will be prudent to wait a few minutes for safe passage.

Updates will be posted on the county website at garfieldcountyco.gov, and residents may subscribe to email updates at garfieldcountynews.org.

Garfield County is closing the bridge over the Crystal River on County Road 108 (Thompson Creek Road) near Carbondale to all traffic on Tuesday morning, May 26. The closure is to ensure worker safety and the safety of the traveling public following an accident that occurred on Friday involving vehicle traffic.

The bridge is being repaired after corroded decking and joints were discovered after a large pothole appeared on the structure in April. Crews are currently clearing the bridge deck of asphalt in the damaged lane and removing concrete from the bottom of the north wall of the bridge. This closure comes a week earlier than the originally planned closure.

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

Crews continued clearing the bridge deck of asphalt in the damaged lane, and began detailed measurements of the steel deck to place the order. The deck will be increased in thickness to sustain the heavier traffic using it now to 7-gauge industrial steel. The steel is manufactured in the United States, and will provide a long lasting fix to the approximately 75-year old bridge.

Crews also are currently removing concrete from the bottom of the north wall of the bridge to make it flush with the deck. A small section of decking has been removed to assess the center beam. More barriers were added to the center line to wall off the construction zone.

The county is striving to keep the pedestrian bridge open to the public. Cutting of metal and welding is planned in coming days along the pedestrian walkway side of the bridge to shore it up while the deck construction is addressed. Pedestrians should be cautious when crossing the bridge.

The bridge is open in one lane with traffic light switching currently, but will close for the main construction in a couple of weeks when the deck is removed and the new deck is installed.

Updates will be broadcast before 7 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays on KMTS 99.1. Subscribe to email notifications at Garfield County news in the upper right side menu, or visit the main Garfield County website.