Bridge Repairs, Limited Reopening

A – Structural repairs to Dillon Pinnacles Bridge, between now and late June, will include the installation of four massive steel plates — 2 at fracture joints and 2 at “structural anomalies.” Structural steel plates shown in blue are 27 feet long, 2 1/2 “thick and between 2 and 2 1/2 feet wide and will be secured with 280 bolts. 

B – This graphic shows examples of where still plates remedying anomalies on the Dillon Pinnacles Bridge, which will continue this summer into late October. 

C – Including the two weld fractures and two anomalies to be repaired immediately with steel plates, a total of 183 bridge structure anomalies have been identified which will be repaired between now and late October. 

_{Graphics courtesy of CDOT.}

   Structural repairs to the U.S. Highway 50 Dillon Pinnacles Bridge — closed to traffic across Blue Mesa Reservoir since cracks were discovered April 18 — may allow the resumption of limited traffic across the bridge as early as the upcoming July 4 weekend.
   Participants at a remote webinar hosted by Colorado Dept. Transportation and Gunnison County on Tuesday evening this week learned that four immense steel plates, 27’ long, 2-1/2” thick, 2 to 2-1/2’ wide and anchored with 280 bolts, will be installed in coming weeks to stabilize steel girders on the bridge at the location of two cracks and two other locations within the bridge supports where “concentrations of anomalies” have been identified.
   At Tuesday’s webinar, CDOT Executive Director Shoshana M. Lew stated “if everything goes right and conditions make it possible,” limited traffic will allow reopening that portion of heavily-travelled U.S. Highway 50 on July 1. In addition to limited traffic with specific weight limits, reopening the 61-year-old Blue Mesa Reservoir bridge is also contingent on shaving off 3” of accumulated asphalt on the bridge decking to literally lighten the load.
   Including the four steel plates which will be installed in coming weeks to structurally reinforce the bridge, repairs will continue on the Dillon Pinnacles Bridge non-stop between now through October to rectify a total of 183 “anomalies” to the bridge structure which have been identified through ultrasound analysis.
   An added complication to traffic flow on U.S. Highway 50 even with a partial reopening of the Dillon Pinnacles bridge is resumption of the five-mile highway widening project through Little Blue Canyon, a multi-year effort scheduled for completion this summer under guidance CDOT partnering with Federal Highway Commission. Work on final phases of the project is now resuming with completion of infill terracing, paving, and completion of guardrail. Expansion work through Little Blue Canyon will once again require traffic delays with one-lane traffic flow through the construction zone.
   CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew was questioned on the potential of expediting completion of the Blue Canyon work which is scheduled for late July. Lew stated a meeting with representatives from the Federal Highway Commission was slated Wednesday morning this week, Lew expressing her hope that with minimal traffic flow on Highway 50 as a result of the bridge closure, the Little Blue Creek Canyon work end date might be moved up to early July….

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