The City of Glenwood Springs is hosting a public open house at 5 to 7 p.m. on August 2 at Sopris Elementary for the South Bridge project. A presentation will be provided from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Since the 2002 Coal Seam Fire forced the evacuation of areas south and west of Glenwood Springs, impacting more than 3,000 residents, the city has been working on plans for a bridge over the Roaring Fork River south of the city. A Federal Earmark for a South Bridge project was requested by Garfield County and awarded in 2005. In 2007, the City, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), and Garfield County began an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the project. The EA, was released for public comment in October 2013. In response to concerns regarding preservation of the RFTA corridor for future rail operations, the design of the Preferred Alternative was revisited and modified to include a new interchange with State Highway 82. These changes are expected to improve safety along this portion of SH 82.
The purpose of the public meeting is to present the changes made to the Preferred Alternative. The public is invited to attend the public meeting to hear about the background of the project; changes made to the Preferred Alternative design; next steps, including completion of the EA process, final design, and construction timeframe; and provide comments.
Staff from the City of Glenwood Springs, CDOT, and Jacobs Engineering Group will present information at the meeting and take comments from the public.
Sopris Elementary School is located at 1150 Mount Sopris Drive.
