An update on Fountain bridges: None in poor condition, but there’s more work to be done

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) -- When compared with other southern Colorado cities, the bridge situation here seems better than most.

Robert McDonald, the city's transportation director, said that its seven major bridges are in good shape.

"Our major bridges are inspected by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) every two years," he said. "And we've received all fair or better ratings on the them."

The situation isn't perfect, however.

The city needs to repair two bridges that sustained erosion damage from flooding in the summer of 2023: The Bandley Drive bridge (south of the Interstate 25/Mesa Ridge Parkway interchange) and the Old Pueblo Road bridge over Jimmy Camp Creek.

KRDO 13's The Road Warrior reported in late February that McDonald planned to ask the City Council for an emergency allocation of $300,000 to qualify for $1.4 million in federal funding to repair the bridges.

On Friday, however, officials updated those numbers to $800,000 from the city and a local water protection district, with the the rest in federal money for a total of $3.5 million.

Work on the bridges should start next spring.

McDonald also revealed recently that the city will increase its focus on maintaining its seven minor bridges to ensure that they are inspected every two years

"Some of them haven't been inspected in maybe five or ten years," he explained. "Some of the inspections weren't formally documented. We didn't have a system in place for that. We'll have more information next year when all of those inspections are completed."

McDonald said that he's requesting additional funding from the City Council to pay for hiring a private engineer to conduct the inspections and determine if any repairs are needed.

"The money hasn't been there to do it sooner," he said. "We're probably looking at anywhere from $5,000 to $8,000 for the entire system."

The minor bridges are at least 20 to 30 years old, McDonald revealed, and he's concerned about recent weather impacts to them.

"In the past several years now, the city has seen some major storms that we really haven't seen that regularly in the past," he said. "The storms that we used to see every 10 or 15 years, now it seems like sometimes we're seeing them once or twice a year. So, when you see that much rainfall, you're going to get more damage and erosion underneath a bridge that needs to be maintained for the rock to support around here to keep erosion from happening."

Finally, the city faces a major bridge project in its near future -- replacing the 60-year-old, two-lane bridge over Fountain Creek, on Santa Fe Avenue (Highway 85/87).

The bridge is a major connection point between downtown and south Fountain, and I-25 and Fort Carson's Gate 19.

CDOT and Fountain officials have been discussing the possible project over the past year.

"They've identified that it is on their list to be replaced," McDonald said. "I haven't seen a report of exactly what the structural issues are or if there are actual structures. How soon? You know, they're they're just like any other government agency. They're looking for funding."