Crews this week broke ground on a part of the metro-wide FasTracks project that will result in the longest bridge in Colorado.
Called the Skyway Bridge, the structure will span 9,533 feet and stand nearly 50 feet above grade at its highest point.
By comparison, the Royal Gorge bridge spans 1,270 feet.
The new bridge is part of the , an 18.5-mile commuter rail line that will run from Denver Union Station through Commerce City, Northglenn and Thornton.
The Skyway Bridge is one of 13 bridges on the North Rail Line, which will open in 2018.
Designing the bridge took nearly a year and a half and required coordination from eight government and regional groups and drew at least six engineers — two full-time for the duration of the design, three part-time and one full-time senior engineer who managed the design oversight, said RTD spokeswoman Brenda Tierney.
RTD planners say it is generally more expensive to build a bridge than travel on land. But in this case, RTD says it will avoid “hundreds of environmental and construction impacts” as well as preserve private property.
The Skyway Bridge will cross 11 existing transportation corridors and waterways. The bridge will begin its rise just south of York Street in Commerce City.
It will span above and across York Street and cross Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific tracks and spurs four times.
