The Colorado Department of Transportation will begin repairs on the bridge over I-25 at West County Road 34 that was badly damaged in a collision on Aug. 8 to allow Weld County Road 34 westbound traffic to drive over the bridge in a one-lane configuration.
Work will take place on Monday and Tuesday nights, dependent on weather conditions and material availability. Concrete barriers and netting under the bridge will be used to catch potential loose bridge debris to allow one-way traffic on the north side of the bridge.
The bridge was hit around 6 p.m. on Aug. 8 when a truck hauling an over-height excavator traveling northbound struck the West County Road 34 overpass bridge on I-25. The bridge sustained debilitating damage to the bridge beams. A Loveland woman was killed in the accident when a piece of the bridge fell on her vehicle.
Interstate traffic was closed until 4 a.m. the next day, until CDOT bridge experts determined traffic was safe to travel under the bridge. CDOT bridge crews have been assessing the damage and have determined the structural integrity of the bridge can support one lane of traffic to connect westbound travelers on WCR 34 across I-25.
On Monday and Tuesday nights, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., I-25 traffic will be detoured to the on- and off-ramps at WCR 34 to allow crews to install netting, barricades, and other work to prepare the bridge to handle one-way westbound traffic by the end of next week.
Roadway work will also need to be performed to repair damage caused by the skidding backhoe and diesel fuel that was spilled as a result of the crash. The roadway repair will require that I-25 traffic be detoured to the on- and off-ramps at West County Road 34 between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. to allow crews to replace the top layer of asphalt on the damaged section. This work is expected to occur in late August and possibly into the beginning of September, depending on weather and material availability.
The next stage of the repairs will take place over the next four months to get the bridge repaired to accommodate two-way traffic as it did before the crash. Intermittent one-lane night closures may be needed to perform bridge safety inspections. Expect night work from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. with minimal delays on I-25 during this time.