What an excursion we had with the knowledgeable public information team from the Grand Avenue Bridge project!
Here at The Property Shop – we look for opportunities to stay informed about community projects so we can guide our clients with as much information as possible. Just as the new Glenwood bridge construction connects the north to the south, we would like to connect you to your new home – we would like to be your bridge home in 2017. Make The Property Shop your “PLACE” to shop for property and let us help you sell or buy real estate!
Our tour started at City Hall, checking out an overview of different project phases as well as a visualization of the project outcome with the miniature model. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, you should. It is a wonderful way to see what the final product will look like.
From City Hall, we had a look at the project from several stopping points around the project. While you can see a lot of the progress from the road, the views and information we took in on our walking tour brought a much more holistic perspective and understanding of the massive scope of this project.
Our Take
In many ways, the Grand Avenue Bridge is a gateway to our area. Sometimes, it can be hard to see the challenges and the advantages of what this new bridge will bring. Construction is always tough on communities, and our city will be no different. This bridge and the impact it will have are unprecedented. In our small town, we’re not used to waiting in a line of cars seemingly not moving. The big trucks don’t add much to the nerves either.
We love our Glenwood Springs home and we believe that the new pedestrian and traffic bridges will add to our community – they will be well worth the wait! Glenwood Springs and our valley is on the cusp of a new era. We see the evidence all the time, not just with the Grand Avenue Bridge project, but in all the new investment and development planned for our area. We foresee great potential for reinvigorated prosperity and opportunity in Glenwood and the region. It is going to be great!
If you or someone you know wants more information on the region or Glenwood Springs real estate, please contact us. This is our community and we can help you make your best decision.
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What We Are Excited About
Multimodal Connectivity
One aspect of this project we are particularly excited about is the accommodation of multimodal transportation, including busses, pedestrians, and bicyclists. The new layout will help to provide, safer and easier access from one side of town to the other. The pedestrian underpass on River Street will give pedestrians access from the north side of the Colorado River through beautiful Two Rivers Park to the Rio Grande Trail.
The New Pedestrian Bridge
The Phase II Fact Sheet describes the new pedestrian bridge as a “steel girder bridge with lookout points, dual elevators, and red brick exterior. The bridge will be 16-feet wide and accommodate both pedestrian and bike traffic”. It will have spectacular views of the Colorado River, Glenwood Canyon, the Hot Springs Pool and west to South Canyon. It connects the 6th Street and the historic hot springs district to 7th Street and the rest of our charming downtown. The new pedestrian bridge is set to open for public use this year and is considered one of the most important assets of the approximately 95-day detour.
The New Traffic Bridge
For starters, the current traffic bridge is more than five-decades old. The Grand Avenue Bridge Fact Sheet states, “Replacing the GAB provides a long-term solution to numerous issues, mitigates all clearance issues and best serves the public as a whole. The current traffic bridge was constructed in 1953 and is considered “functionally obsolete” by the threshold in the National Bridge Inventory.”
We have long heard of plans to replace the bridge and it is so exciting to see the project move forward.
Hard to conceive now, both bridges will add beauty to our town as iconic features for many years.
Picture Album from The Property Shop’s
Grand Avenue Bridge Tour
Use the arrows to see more pictures from our tour!
Other Handy Information We Learned
According to a January article by Tom Newland, GAB Public Information manager, “Pedestrian and business access will continue to remain open throughout the project. Phase two will be completed in March… Phase three work will be completed this spring and summer. Phase three is all construction activity prior to the bridge detour, scheduled to begin Aug. 14, 2017.” In preparation for the detour, our community will have to be thoughtful and work together to be successful.
Keep an eye out for the updates in the Post Independent including the team’s weekly Monday column, Answer Man. Be sure to sign up for project updates and reach out to the project team if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions. There is a lot of information out there designed to keep you in the know.
Additional Information
For more information regarding the Glenwood Springs Grand Avenue Bridge Project:
- Facebook: GrandAveBridgeProject
- Website: grandavebridge.codot.gov
- Hotline (call or text): 970-618-9897
- Email: info@grandavenuebridge.com
