Ulteig was hired by Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to complete the design of the Fall River Road Bridge project. Begun as an urgent response to improve safety for bicyclists who used the busy westbound I-70 to access the Fall River community, the project evolved to a vehicular bridge, adding an alternate route for emergency vehicles on I-70 in heavy congestion such as peak ski travel season.
LISTENING TO OUR CLIENT
The project supports CDOT’s Whole System – Whole Safety initiative by improving safety conditions for all modes of transportation using I-70. The project design also accommodates
future greenway trail projects from the Clear Creek County master plan, avoiding the need for future modification.
LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY
An added challenge was revealed through stakeholder engagement with the local rafting community. Because the proposed bridge would be located almost directly above a rapid, the standard one-foot freeboard design for Clear Creek County bridges would not be adequate. Ulteig incorporated rafters’ goals by modifying the original design to accommodate a vehicular bridge with eight feet of freeboard.
RESULTS
This project was a powerful reminder to go beyond the “usual” stakeholders and ensure that a transportation solution truly embraces the needs and accommodates the impacts of the whole community. Without the extensive community engagement facilitated by Ulteig, this inclusivity would not have been possible.
Services Provided
