Crews to Install Girders on I-76 Next Week

ADAMS COUNTY — On Monday, December 28th, weather permitting, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will install girders for the northern half of the new bridges over State Highway (SH) 224 and the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR). The work will require a full closure of westbound I-76 between 88th Avenue and SH 224 from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. with single lane closures beginning at 7 p.m.

During the closure, motorists will be taken off of westbound I-76 at 88th Avenue and detoured to the frontage road. Once on the frontage road, motorists will continue west to SH 224 where access to westbound I-76 is available. Delays are possible and alternate routes are advised.

Throughout the construction of the northern portion of the bridges, I-76 will be in a temporary alignment and the speed limit will be reduced to 55 MPH. CDOT would like to remind motorists to obey all traffic signs and flaggers and to "Slow for the Cone Zone." Fines will be doubled for most infractions that occur in a work zone.

The girder installation is part of a project that replaces four bridges on I-76 over SH 224 and over the UPRR, mileposts 7.653 to 8.693. The existing bridges, originally constructed in 1967, are in poor condition and in great need of replacement.

Both bridges are being constructed in three phases with demolition and construction of the center portion of the bridges taking place first followed by the northern portion and then the southern portion. The center portion of both bridges is complete and crews are working on the northern portion now.

SEMA Construction Co. of Centennial, CO is the contactor for this $11 million project funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The entire project is scheduled to be complete by January 2011. In all, Colorado will receive more than $400 million for transportation projects and $103 million for transit projects. For more information about how Colorado is putting the recovery act to work, visit www.colorado.gov/recovery . For a list of CDOT’s Recovery Act projects, visit www.dot.state.co.us/arra .