Bridge repair to cause road closure for several months

The Colorado Department of Transportation began repair work Monday, on Rainbow Falls Bridge, closing a main entrance into Manitou Springs.

Manitou Avenue is closed at the western ramp from Highway 24 to Serpentine Drive. The goal is to have it open again in June, before the high tourism season in Manitou Springs, but it could be closed until August. Crews have yet to assess the amount of damage the bridge suffered in the floods of 2013.

The work includes fixing the concrete deck surface, putting in new bridge rails, fixing the guardrail and reinforcing underlying floor beams arches, columns and piers.

People who work in the area hope the work ends quickly, as the closure will affect business in the area.

“Half of our customers are walk-ups. They drive by, they see it, and they pull in, and we get them on tour,” said Jesse Youngwerth, manager of Pikes Peak Ziplines. “So if there’s not going to be anybody driving by from that side, we could lose 20-30 percent of our customers from it.”`