Project Overview
About the Bridges
The eastbound and westbound lanes of Circle Drive are carried on a total of four bridges consisting of two sets of twin structures. The overall bridge width for both structures is 82 feet and carries two lanes of traffic in both directions. They span over Fountain Creek, the BNSF railroad, the FMIC (Irrigation), Las Vegas Street, Hancock Expressway and the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail.
Project Background
The Circle Drive Bridges were originally built in 1963. Over the past several years, the City has used available funding toward repairs to keep these bridges in service. As they have exceeded their 50-year service life, they now require significant repairs, and the time has come to assess the appropriate path forward – continued rehabilitation or replacement.
After several in-depth analyses, an evaluation of initial capital and a review of overall life-cycle costs, the City has determined that replacing the bridges is the best solution. Given the extensive degradation of the existing structures, the repair option would be more expensive while not fully providing for the desired structural capacity.
