Pikes Peak Avenue bridge undergoes repairs through late October

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- For the third time since last fall, a bridge over Shooks Run Creek, on the eastern edge of downtown, is getting repair work.

The bridge is on Pikes Peak Avenue, and although it was built just 23 years ago, it has a variety of routine maintenance needs.

One lane in each direction will be closed during the project, which began last week and is scheduled to be completed in late October.

Concrete barriers are in place to close the eastbound and westbound right lanes, as well as the westbound sidewalk.

A crew will repair the concrete bridge deck and cover it with a polyester material to protect it from weathering; address broken and missing stones on the bridge pillars; and restore cracked and broken sidewalks.

The city says that one sidewalk will remain open during construction, and the lane closures will occasionally shift

Use of the Shooks Run Trail under the bridge won't be affected by the project.

A city bus stop in the area will close late next month and won't reopen until the project ends.

Because of the tight squeeze for drivers through the lane closures, officials advise drivers to slow down, expect traffic delays, and allow extra time to get through -- especially during rush hour periods.

Workers will be on duty between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays.

Sales tax revenue from the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority is covering the project cost of nearly $924,000.

Two previous repairs to bridges over the creek were an emergency repair last month on Uintah Street, and routine maintenance work on Cache La Poudre Street; both bridges are more than a century old.