GLENWOOD SPRINGS— — A new Grand Avenue Bridge could open up some opportunities for a major makeover of the public space in the downtown area between Seventh and Eighth streets.
As state and local transportation planners work on a new bridge design, the Glenwood Springs Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has been busy developing a series of redesign concepts for downtown sidewalks and side streets.
The DDA’s “Urban Design Studies” were presented at a recent open house co-sponsored by the DDA and the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Included among the conceptual sketches done by urban designer Jim Leggitt of Denver-based StudioINSITE are several ideas for possibly redesigning the 700 block of Grand Avenue and surrounding areas.
The first block of the downtown area stands to be the most impacted once the new bridge is built, likely starting in 2015.
One reason the existing bridge needs to be replaced is because it is too narrow, which means the platform for the new bridge will need to be several feet wider than it is now.
The planned bridge replacement is also intended to gain more clearance as the bridge passes over the railroad tracks and Seventh Street.
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