Photos: Ten most traveled Colorado bridges that are structurally deficient

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association has issued a report about the nation’s bridges, and there are plenty to be concerned about in Colorado. As noted by Fox31, 536 of them, representing 6 percent of the total in the state, are considered structurally compromised, with 902, or 10 percent, deemed functionally obsolete.

As part of its Colorado profile, the ARTBA has compiled a list of the ten most traveled bridges in the state that are structurally compromised. All of them are in Denver or Jefferson County and at least three (the ones on 6th Avenue) are in the process of being replaced — and that’s a good thing, since they’ve registered a daily driving average starting at around 95,000 and going up to more than 180,000. Count down the photo-illustrated top ten below, supplemented by ARTBA data, followed by the agency’s Colorado report.

Number 10:
County: Denver
Year built: 1958:
Type of bridge: Urban Interstate
Location: US 85 ML I-25 NBND in Denver
Daily crossings: 95,500
Number 9:
County: Denver
Year built: 1966
Type of bridge: Urban Interstate
Location: Tennyson Street, I-70 ML, Lakeside
Daily crossing: 96,500
Number 8:
County: Jefferson
Year built: 1972
Type of bridge: Urban freeway/expressway
Location: SH 121 ML, US 6 ML, in Lakewood
Daily crossing: 101,000
Continue to keep counting down the ten most traveled Colorado bridges that are structurally deficient.

Number 7:
County: Jefferson
Year built: 1964
Type of bridge: Urban freeway/expressway
Location: Garrison Street, US 6 ML in Lakewood
Daily crossings: 102,000
Number 6:
County: Denver
Year built: 1965
Type of bridge: Rural minor arterial
Location: I-70 ML, Pecos Street in Denver
Daily crossings: 109,000
Number 5:
County: Jefferson
Year built: 2011
Type of bridge: Urban freeway/expressway
Location: SH 95 ML/Sheridan Avenue, US 6 ML in Lakewood
Daily crossings: 113,000
Continue to keep counting down the ten most traveled Colorado bridges that are structurally deficient.

Number 4:
County: Denver
Year built: 1958
Type of bridge: Urban freeway/expressway
Location: Bryant Street, US 6 ML in Denver
Daily crossings: 131,000
Number 3:
County: Denver
Year built: 1956
Type of bridge: Urban freeway/expressway
Location: South Platte River, US 6 ML, West side of I-25 INT., Denver
Daily crossings: 137,000
Number 2:
County: Denver
Year built: 1956
Type of bridge: Rural arterial
Location: BNSF Railroad, US 6 ML, East Edge of I-25 INT.
Daily crossings: 137,000
Continue to keep counting down the ten most traveled Colorado bridges that are structurally deficient.

Number 1:
County: Denver
Year built: 1964
Type of bridge: Urban Interstate
Location: Havana ST, UP Railroad, I-70 ML in Denver
Daily crossings: 183,000

Here’s the full report:

State bridge profiles colorado from artba

Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.

More from our Strange But True archive circa April 15: “The pros and cons of using the a$$hole lane.”