WHY CAN’T WE FIX THAT: I-25 and Rockrimmon

There’s something — several things, rather — jostling your ride along I-25.

100,000 people bounce across the stretch of eleven problem bridges between Woodmen and Rockrimmon everyday.

There’s one bump, though, that’s especially noticeable: the northbound exit at Rockrimmon. The height difference alone between the approach and the bridge is — at least — eight inches, sending drivers in a caddywhomp bump.

“Every time we go over it, it just seems like it’s getting worse,” said Teresa Smith, who alerted KRDO. “If we were hitting it at a high rate of speed, it would flip your car.”

Smith wanted to know, Why Can’t We Fix That?

Turns out, the approaches leading up to the bridges have been sinking for years. Those bridges are anchored into a deeper bedrock, which typically don’t settle; the approaches, however, are built up with soil, which does settle. CDOT’s tried a variety of fixes since the COSMIX construction more than a dozen years ago, but to no avail. Engineers say, they’ve been waiting for the settling to finish, in order to make a more permanent fix.

“We’ve got a stable facility now, and we’re going to smooth out that ride – and get back to the drive without that bump,” said Dave Watt, CDOT Resident GM.

Crews have started work to shift traffic to the middle, so that lanes can be evened out before laying asphalt.

The total project costs $12 million with some leftover funds from the I-25 Cimarron Interchange project.

All work should be finished by December 2018.

For more information on the Rockrimmon construction, click here.

Is there something that has you asking, “Why Can’t We Fix That?” Email us: fixthat@krdo.com