Parklet plan considered as replacement for demolished El Paso Street bridge in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A section of Platte Avenue east of downtown reopened to traffic Tuesday evening after being closed since Saturday for the demolition of the El Paso Street bridge across the busy avenue.

And some longtime residents of the surrounding Shooks Run neighborhood will miss it; a steady procession of people visited the demolition aftermath Wednesday.

"I'm taking detours and I'm going into more traffic just to get home, and it takes me longer," said Jeannette Valencio as she looked at the former bridge area on Wednesday. "Yeah, I wish they would build another bridge."

City officials said that likely won't happen, but they're considering an idea that may provide more value to the neighborhood.

A recent study of the future of the Platte Avenue corridor -- which included public input -- proposes building an overpass for traffic at that location and establishing a parklet above it.

A parklet is defined as "a public seating platform that converts curbside parking spaces into vibrant community spaces."

"There is a concept in there to do a parklet in that area," said Gayle Sturdivant, the city's deputy public works director. "But that really needs to be revisited when we open up the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority project that  is right now scheduled to start in 2027."

Officials have yet to determine the cost of such a project, as well as learn how traffic noise from under an overpass could be mitigated.

Neighbors have mixed feelings about the idea.

"From here, you've got a really nice view of Pikes Peak," said Joseph Kaiser. "So, they want to preserve that, and I think that would enhance the neighborhood and the livability of the neighborhood. Since the bridge was closed, it's been much quieter and safer without traffic speeding through here and killing pets."

Benjamin Hastings said that he misses the bridge because of the convenience it provided for drivers, but is open to the parklet idea.

"If the money doesn't come, it'll be just kind of a vacant spot again," he said. "I hope that the city can figure something out."

A parklet would likely incorporate part of the Shooks Run trail through the area -- including a walkway that was next to the former bridge.

Officials closed the bridge three years ago after it was damaged when a semi-truck hit it, and it never reopened; recently, pieces of concrete and other debris began falling onto Platte traffic, leading to its removal.

"We do not know of any specific damage (to vehicles) but there (was) a likelihood of it and we (didn't) want to have that happen," Sturdivant explained.

Many viewers asked why the city took so long to tear the bridge down.

Sturdivant cited two reasons.

"We (started) doing analysis to see if it could be repaired and still be structurally sound," she said. "The results were that it could not. We also didn't do anything with it because we were really in a claims settlement case with the vehicle that struck it."

Sturdivant said that the settlement provided "several hundred thousand dollars" to pay for demolition costs.