Wow, what a deal the Colorado Department of Transportation has for you: All that’s needed is the time, money and equipment to disassemble, relocate and reassemble a 150-foot-long, 33-foot-wide, 77-year-old metal truss bridge that has vertical clearance of 13 feet, 2 inches.
Simple enough. But it’s also really, really expensive.
So much so, CDOT can’t put a price tag on the cost of adopting the built in 1935 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“Some of those questions are just not answerable right now,” said CDOT senior staff historian Lisa Schoch.
Hopefully, someone out there has an inkling, since the bridge is slated for demolition this year because it does not meet design standards. CDOT plans to build a replacement bridge.
Although the bridge may be obsolete, CDOT wants someone to adopt it and give it a good home.
“This is a significant metal truss design, and these types of bridges are just not made anymore,” Schoch said. “That’s too bad because these are great bridges.”
In fact, the Dotsero Bridge — on the Interstate 70 frontage road in Dotsero — is one of just a few metal truss bridges on Colorado’s highway system that are still intact. More specifically, it is a steel, rigid-connected Parker through truss bridge, Schoch said.
It is historically significant for its contribution to transportation on U.S. 6 across western Colorado, and it is an excellent example of a standard Colorado Highway Department truss design, said Schoch.
The bridge may be a good candidate for reuse as a pedestrian or recreational trail bridge, she said. A new deck and abutments would need to be constructed for it in its new location, as the current ones are outdated.
The bridge is free. But the taker is responsible for taking it apart, moving it and putting it back together.
Also, the paint on the bridge contains lead and possibly other compounds that will require careful removal and containment.
Favor will be given to potential takers who agree to maintain the bridge in accordance with U.S. Department of the Interior standards for rehabilitation and guidelines for rehabilitating historic buildings.
Hope Kapsner, who lives near the bridge, said she traveled over it every day on her way to school in Eagle and never appreciated its unique style until now.
“It’s just a beautiful old bridge,” Kapsner said. “I totally understand why we need a new one, but I hope someone can adopt this one and keep it intact. It’s a beautiful part of western Colorado.”
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