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Rio Blanco commissioners approve $720,000 full rehabilitation of County Road 17 Bridal bridge
Summary
The board approved option 3 — a full rehabilitation estimated at $720,000 — to reopen County Road 17 Bridal and maximize its remaining lifespan, with commissioners citing speed and value compared with federal grant timelines.
The Rio Blanco County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Sept. 30 to approve a $720,000 full rehabilitation of the County Road 17 Bridal bridge ("option 3"), a project county staff and consultants said would restore piers, lagging and decking and extend the structure’s service life more rapidly than lesser repairs or a full replacement.
County staff and an engineer summarized four repair options developed by SGM engineers: (1) a localized repair that welds plates onto existing piles, estimated to provide roughly five years of additional life and cost about $320,000; (2) installing new piles in front of existing piles with load-rating fixes but potential debris and ice buildup, estimated at about $380,000 and a service life of roughly five to 10 years; (3) a rehabilitation with new piers, new lagging, painting and decking work — estimated at $720,000 and described by staff as the option that addresses both underwater pier degradation and above-water corrosion for a longer service life (roughly 15–30 years); and (4) a full replacement estimated at about $2,000,001.60.
A county staff member told commissioners that Rio Blanco previously reserved ARPA funds earlier in 2024 that could cover the $720,000 rehabilitation, and commissioners said they wanted the work started as soon as feasible, acknowledging seasonal constraints related to high water and winter conditions. A county staff speaker said starting some preparatory work this winter — for example, painting or partial lagging work that does not require in-water access — might accelerate completion after high-water season.
One commissioner asked about the painting and corrosion issues; a staff member answered that the deck, main beams and lagging have widespread rust and that painting alone would not resolve underwater pier degradation. Commissioners discussed timeline trade-offs for pursuing federal or state grant funding (CDOT), which would likely require adherence to the 2022 FEMA 100-year floodplain standards adopted by the county and would push the schedule toward 2028 if pursued. Staff said they had turned down grants in this case to avoid extended timelines and added federal/state requirements.
After discussion about timelines, funding and the engineering options, a commissioner moved to approve option 3, the $720,000 full rehabilitation to reopen the bridge and maximize remaining lifespan. The motion passed on a roll call with all three commissioners recorded as voting in favor.
County staff said they will proceed with an RFP and outreach to CDOT for coordination and will confirm reserved ARPA funding amounts with the county finance officer.
