U.S. 50 Blue Mesa Middle Bridge is getting fixed.

The Colorado Department of Transportation hosted meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday to detail how the bridge, closed on April 18 due to cracks in the steel bridge structure, will be repaired and at least partially reopened to traffic by July 4.

A full opening of the bridge is anticipated for this fall.

The meetings coincided with Gov. Jared Polis issuing an executive order on Wednesday, allocating disaster emergency funds to rebuild the bridge. The order also allocates funding toward the response, closure mitigation and recovery efforts for impacted communities.

The Blue Mesa Bridge is a major connection to many residents in Gunnison, Hinsdale and Montrose counties, with the closure adding more than five hours to many area residents’ commutes.

“The closure of the Blue Mesa Bridge creates significant strains on the local economy, health and medical services including emergency care, education, agricultural activities, and daily travel to and from work for community members,” notes Polis’ executive order.

Agriculture agonies

The public information officer for the Incident Management Team for Blue Mesa Reservoir Bridge Closure, Anne Reid, is excited on behalf on both the agriculture community and small businesses in the area.

“The agricultural community here is very prevalent,” Reid said. “Concerns from agriculture communities really came up quickly.”

Before trailers were allowed on County Road 26, farmers were forced to take the six- to eight-hour loop to get where they needed to be since they were unable to travel the bridge. The distance was hard on the health of baby cattle and other young animals.

The agricultural community has been working to set up a fund to help producers with some of the burden and cost incurred due to the U.S. 50 bridge closure. The fund will be hosted by the Gunnison Ranchland Conservation Legacy.

Alongside farmers, small business owners also took a hit due to the restricted access to shops near the Blue Mesa Reservoir. Many of the stores saw a decrease in traffic due to the lack of through-traffic.

Bridging the gap

Critical inspections have been done for the bridge and inspectors identified approximately 118 critical inspection locations that contain internal defects. All of the defects were measured by a project team and it was determined the bridge could be opened to limited loads once all of the initial surface cracks are repaired. While the internal defects require repair for long-term use of the bridge, they do not pose an immediate threat.

CDOT will work on repairs in phases. Phase one will prioritize fixing the cracks and other critical issues in four areas that pose a risk to the bridge’s structural integrity. These repairs will ensure that emergency vehicles and lighter loads are safe traveling until the rest of the permanent repairs can be completed.

Wednesday’s CDOT statement cautions that completion of the first phase is dependent on a variety of factors, especially weather. Subsequent phases of work are planned to strengthen the bridge and address internal defects, and allow for heavy load vehicles to pass safely. These phases will tackle the internal defects. CDOT intend to bring the bridge back to its original structural standards.

Secondary safety inspections will continue and will help further confirm structural integrity and repair design.

CDOT and its contractor partner, Kiewit Infrastructure, anticipate being able to reopen the bridge to additional motor vehicle traffic during the course of the repairs. Phase two will require more time to complete but can be completed safely in between in-service traffic openings on the bridge.

The completion should be done by the fall.

“I’m excited for visitors from all over to see beautiful areas around the Gunnison and Montrose area, and to be able to have that access again so they’re not having to worry about it,” Reid said.

More on the repair project, and the current status of road travel through the affected area is available at www.codot.gov/news/2024/may/cdot-announces-us50-blue-mesa-bridge-repair-plan.