Colorado Springs prepares for eventual replacement of two bridges along busy Fillmore Street corridor

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The city's first allocation of federal funding from the Congressional infrastructure bill will be spent on preparing to replace two key bridges on Fillmore Street, just east of Interstate 25 and on both sides of the Mark Dabling Boulevard intersection.

The city will receive $750,000 for planning work to determine the best ways to demolish the old bridges, build new bridges, analyze traffic impacts along the busy corridor, create a detour on the popular Pikes Peak Greenway Trail, and install wider, continuous sidewalks to benefit pedestrians and other non-motorized traffic.

One of the two affected bridges crosses the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, but the bridge of greatest concern spans the trail and Monument Creek.

Officials have been closely monitoring that bridge since 2009 after finding that the structure had shifted, and sensors were installed when the discovery was made.

"The good news with that monitoring is that even though we experienced some rotation in those bearings, it's been relatively stable," said Gayle Sturdivant, the city's deputy public works director. "We're not showing any movement at this time. And really, the concern is not only do we have the bearing issue, we actually have problems with the deck. So we're doing some deck maintenance right now."

The city will use the planning study to apply for more federal funds for actual construction; the projected cost is around $43 million, of which the city would pay 30%.

Officials said that the planning work will begin and be completed next year, with construction starting in 2026 and ending in 2028.

Several citizens told KRDO NewsChannel 13 Monday that they support the plan.

"I really don't see where anybody has room to complain about it.," said Steve Burton. "What's the option? What else can you do? If they're smart enough to fix them before they fall down. that's the way you need to go."

Jim Casey walked his dog, Grace, along the trail under the bridge Monday.

Hopefully, they'll widen it, they'll do more lanes, they'll do something because on Fillmore, especially during rush hour, it's really backed up," he said.

The bridges were built in 1961 and widened in 1971.