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South Bridge, fire risk presentation slated for Glenwood Springs City Council meeting Thursday

A graphic illustration shows the planned route for the new South Bridge across the Roaring Fork river south of Glenwood Springs, connecting to Colorado Highway 82.
Courtesy city of Glenwood Springs

A presentation outlining the cost-benefit model for the South Bridge project in Glenwood Springs will be presented to the public at a special City Council meeting at 5 p.m. on Thursday.

The presentation will also outline the safety benefit of the project, including the estimated impact the bridge would have on lives and property saved in the event of a major wildfire.

Glenwood Springs City Engineer Terri Partch will walk council members through the presentation, which uses historical fire incident data and current drought conditions to determine the mortality and property loss estimates in the event of a major wildfire in the south Glenwood Springs area, both with and without the new bridge.



The city has been planning and designing a second southern bridge connection from south Glenwood since 2007. Thursday evening’s presentation will look at the cost benefit model for the project as developed for the city’s FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant application.

The project’s total estimated cost is approximately $47 million. The city is seeking a $31 million FEMA grant for its construction.



One option for the project route would bore underneath the runway at the municipal airport. That route would begin at Midland Avenue and Four Mile Road, where it would follow Airport Road before tunneling below the airport’s runway. The South Bridge would then cross the Roaring Fork River before connecting to Colorado Highway 82.

A second option would remove part of the runway on the southern end and add length to the northern end, then move the southern runway threshold to the north.

That plan would relocate runway lights and require the runway to be restriped. The final runway length would be 3,262 feet.

Either option would allow residents a direct route to Highway 82, and another route to disperse in the event of an evacuation order during a major fire.

For more information, presentation documents can be found on the meeting’s agenda at https://glenwoodspringsco.civicclerk.com/Web/Player.aspx?id=406&key=-1&mod=-1&mk=-1&nov=0.

For those wishing to provide public input on the presentation or to virtually attend the meeting, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82230703799.


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