Colorado Democratic Senator Mark Udall near the 42-year-old and structurally ailing bridge over Interstate 25 at West Alameda Avenue today and said help is on the way.
The Obama administration’s economic stimulus package, which goes before the Senate this week, contains $525 million for road and bridge repairs in Colorado, including the I-25 span, Udall said.
“Our goal is to get the economy going and create jobs, jobs, jobs,” Udall said.
Speaking to a crowd that included construction workers, Udall said, “these people are ready to go, let’s put them back to work.”
If the stimulus package is approved work on the West Alameda bridge could start in June or July, said Randy Jensen, a Colorado Department of Transportation official..
The Alameda bridge would be widened with road shoulders added on both sides over I-25.
A new South Santa Fe Drive bridge would be built over I-25 to help ease traffic congestion.
The first phase of projected five phase project would cost an estimated $24 million.
Udall, who was joined by State Sen. Dan Gibbs, D-Silverthorne, said the stimulus measure could bring and additional 37,000 to 42,000 jobs to the state.
“Government spending must be timely, targeted and temporary. This package puts people back to work,” Udall said.
Antonio Ledezma whose family owns Jalisco International, Inc., a contracting business that helps install bridge girders, said he hopes the federal stimulus money will soon be approved.
Ledezma said he has already had to layoff some of his work force. “They’re smart, they’re skilled and putting them on unemployment lines is not a good use of American assets,” he said.
Annette Espinoza: 303-954-1655 or aespinoza@denverpost.com
