Bridge replacement is underway on Highway 120 east of Florence. As KRCC’s Katherine-Claire O’Connor reports, the construction is expected to have minimal effect on traffic.
The 3.8 million dollar project is funded through FASTER and the Colorado Bridge Enterprise, a government organization that aims to improve bridges in the state. CDOT spokesman Bob Wilson says the bridge has structural issues, but it’s also outdated.
“In 1927 when this roadway was built you could probably conceivably take a Model T in both directions across it. But for today’s modern traffic, a one-lane bridge does not meet the standards for today’s highways.”
Highway 120 was originally the thoroughfare connecting Pueblo and Canon City, until the current US 50 was built to accommodate more traffic. The bridge carries about 220 cars per day over the Arkansas River and the Union Pacific railroad. There will be minimal delays Mondays through Fridays until the new bridge is complete sometime next summer, after which the old bridge will come down.
