Pine St. Bridge Replacement

A full road closure of Pine Street north of K.4 Road and south of K.6 Road began on October 3, 2022. This road closure facilitated the utility relocation work during October in support of the Pine Street Bridge Reconstruction Project at the Little Salt Wash bridge crossing. GA Western began work on the bridge reconstruction on October 31, 2022. The full road closure is expected to last through August of 2023. The City of Fruita Engineering Department requests that all citizens respect the full road closure as hazardous conditions may exist within the construction area and will be intermittent during the utility relocation portion of the project.

Project Updates

• Week of October 7, 2022 - Xcel Distribution Gas completed the work to disconnect the gas main across the bridge. Xcel power located the existing irrigation main adjacent to the power poles that require relocation. Anticipated work for next week consists of Ute Water installing valves on their water main and disconnecting the pipeline across the bridge. Xcel Power will continue work to ensure power to all residents and removal of the Primary Power lines across the Little Salt Wash to facilitate the bridge construction.
• Week of October 21, 2022 - Various utilities are continuing to be relocated prior to the removal of the existing Pine Street Bridge at Little Salt Wash.
• Week of October 28, 2022 - Both high and low-pressure gas have been temporarily relocated as well as overhead power in anticipation of the demolition of the existing bridge. The communication lines are anticipated to be moved next week.
• Week of November 18, 2022 - The Pine Street Bridge Reconstruction Project has entered the bridge demolition phase. All utilities that required relocation have completed their work and GA Western has mobilized to the site and is actively working on the existing bridge demolition. The safety guardrails and fencing have been removed from the bridge. The City of Fruita wants to ensure the safety of all residents and the construction crew working on the bridge demolition and kindly requests that all residents respect the road closure. This road closure pertains to all modalities; including vehicular, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Thank you for your consideration.
• Week of December 2, 2022 - Existing girders (support beams) were removed from the old bridge this week.
• Week of December 9, 2022 - Some utility relocations took place this week. We anticipate pilings for the bridge abutments will start to be driven next Friday.
• Week of December 16, 2022 - Piling will be driven on the north side of the bridge starting Monday. Next Tuesday is scheduled for the piling on the south side.
• Week of December 23, 2022 - Colorado Piling Service installed the piles for the north abutment of the new bridge. GA Western set the large blocks in place for Retaining Wall 2. Rebar and forms were built, and the concrete was placed for the concrete cap over Retaining Wall 2. GA Western began preparation for the sanitary sewer relocation by welding the steel casing pipe for installation across the Little Salt Wash. The job site was secured, and construction was suspended for the Holiday Season. Construction will resume on Tuesday January 3, 2023
• Week of January 6, 2023 - Construction activities were resumed on January 3, 2023, after the Holiday work suspension. GA Western backfilled Retaining Wall 2 and prepared the site for driving the piles on the south side of the Little Salt Wash. Riprap was delivered to the site and placement along the south bank of the Little Salt Wash was started. Colorado Piling Service installed the piles for the south abutment of the new bridge.
• Week of January 13, 2023 - Utility work is ongoing for extending the steel casing for the sewer line crossing.
• Week of Janaury 20, 2023 - The sanitary sewer main was completed in the new alignment and the existing sanitary sewer main was decommissioned with the old manholes removed. Work began on the south abutment with forms set on the back face and rebar being tied in place. Riprap placement continued below the north abutment.
• Week of January 27, 2023 - Work continued for the south abutment and wing walls with the reinforcing steel being completed. The foundation for the north abutment and adjoining wing walls was excavated to grade and compacted, the back face forms were set and reinforcing steel is being tied in preparation of concrete placement.
• Week of February 3, 2023 - Forms and reinforcing steel were completed for both the north and south abutments and wing walls. Concrete is being placed for these abutments on Friday, February 3, 2023. The next big step is the placement of seven (7) girders to support the bridge deck. The girders are concrete boxes 68-feet long, 4-feet wide, and 3-feet deep and will require pilot vehicles for delivery. The current schedule for girder delivery and setting is Friday, February 17, 2023. The route for these oversized trucks has not been established at this time but will be included in next week’s update.
• Week of February 10, 2023 - Drain lines and backfilling around the wingwalls and abutments took place this week. The girders are scheduled to be placed at the end of next week so there will be some more congestion on the north side of the bridge with the girder delivery.
• Week of February 17, 2023 - Girders (structural support beams) were set this Friday for the new bridge.
• Week of February 27, 2023 - Work began on the bridge deck and top portion of the abutments by setting forms and reinforcing steel for both the north and south abutments. Work also began on the permanent steel deck forms that span the area between the concrete girders. GA Western anticipates placing the concrete for the bridge deck on March 9 depending on weather and work conditions.
• Week of March 3, 2023 - Work continued on the bridge deck and top portion of the abutments. The permanent steel deck forms that span the area between the concrete girders were completely installed with all gaps between the steel decking and temporary forms for the abutments being closed. Supply chain issues and materials availability have affected the project schedule and the anticipated date for the bridge deck concrete placement has been delayed to March 22, 2023. This delay affects the construction of the permanent irrigation main across the bridge, which will not be completed by the time irrigation water begins flowing in April. The contract provided contingencies for this situation and GA Western will place a temporary bridge to support a temporary irrigation main across the Little Salt Wash.
• Week of March 10, 2023 - Work on the bridge deck is on hold until parts are delivered to help with forming the cantilevered portion on the outside limits of the bridge. The placement of the bridge deck is dependent on the delivery of these parts. GA Western delivered and installed a pedestrian bridge for the temporary irrigation main on the west side of the Pine Street Bridge. Ben Dowd Construction, the pipeline subcontractor, installed the storm drain on the northwest corner of the bridge. The temporary irrigation main was started by installing a 10” gate valve and 4” drain line on the north end of the bridge. Work on the southwest storm drain is progressing.
• Week of March 17, 2023 - GA Western received the parts they needed to move forward with the bridge deck, with work progressing on the cantilevered portion on the outside limits of the bridge. The formwork for the cantilevered portion was completed and guide rails for the deck paving machine were installed. The deck concrete placement has been delayed to April 3 because of the part delivery delays and concrete supply issues. The bridge deck will be a large concrete placement and the supplier must have multiple trucks available, which is set for April 3 rd unless another large placement is canceled before then. Ben Dowd Construction, the pipeline subcontractor, completed installation of the storm drain on the southwest corner of the bridge. Work on the temporary irrigation main is on hold waiting for 10”x10”x10” wye fittings that will facilitate a rapid transition from the temporary to the permanent bridge mounted irrigation main. Riprap placement around the southwest storm drain outlet was completed.
• Week of March 24, 2023 - GA Western with the help of H & B Rebar tied all the reinforcing steel for the bridge deck and the portions of the bridge sidewalks and curbs that are incorporated into the bridge deck. The concrete deck machine was built and placed on the rails installed on the formwork for the deck placement. The concrete placement for the bridge deck is scheduled for April 3, 2023. Ben Dowd Construction, the pipeline subcontractor, completed installation of the temporary irrigation main across the Little Salt Wash.
• Week of March 31, 2023 - GA Western calibrated the concrete deck machine and cleaned the bridge deck and forms of debris. The concrete placement for the bridge deck is scheduled for April 3, 2023 if weather permits. Ben Dowd Construction, completed the storm drain and and irrigation drain line on the northeast side of the bridge.
• Week of April 7, 2023 - GA Western successfully placed concrete for the bridge deck. Given the cold temperatures this week the bridge was covered with concrete blankets and allowed to cure through the week. Work will begin again next week.
• Week of April 14, 2023 - GA Western stripped the forms on the north and south abutments and wing walls. Backfilling was started on the north abutment. The forms and rebar for the sidewalks across the bridge were completed and prepared for concrete placement next week. Rebar and forms were prepared and concrete placed for the foundation of the large block retaining wall on the southwest corner of the bridge.
• Week of April 20, 2023 - GA Western installed the large block retaining wall on the southwest corner of the bridge. The south abutment was backfilled with geotextile reinforced structural fill. The concrete for the north sleeper slab (independent support slab for the approach slab) was placed. The concrete sidewalks across the east and west sides of the bridge were placed.
• Week of April 28, 2023 - GA Western completed the formwork, reinforcing steel and concrete placement for the south sleeper slab (independent support slab for the approach slab) and north approach slab. The south approach slab is formed with reinforcing steel in place, the concrete placement is scheduled for Friday afternoon.
• Week of May 5, 2023 - This was a milestone week for the project. GA Western completed the last concrete placements for the bridge structure by placing the sidewalks across the approach slabs and the bridge curbs on both the east and west sides of the bridge. There remains a considerable amount of work to complete the bridge; including the permanent installation of utilities across the new bridge, installation of safety features, concrete sidewalks leading to the bridge and road paving. We would like to remind the public that the bridge remains closed to all modes of transportation including vehicular, bicycles and pedestrians. Safety features have not been installed and hazards still remain in the construction zone.
• Week of May 12, 2023 - GA Western removed the forms utilized to place the concrete on the bridge. Conduits for the future undergrounding of dry utilities across the bridge are being installed on the north and south sides of the bridge. The conduits are being installed to prevent future disturbance of the bridge and roadway infrastructure. Earthen fill slopes are being completed on the east side of the bridge to facilitate the future installation of Xcel High Pressure gas and distribution gas mains across the bridge. The steel pipeline for the permanent installation of the irrigation main across the bridge is being welded together and prepared for hanging on the west side of the bridge. The bridge rails have been delivered to the site and will be installed later this week or early next week. We would like to remind the public that the bridge remains closed to all modes of transportation including vehicular, bicycles and pedestrians. Safety features have not been installed and hazards remain and will continue to change in location and severity in the construction zone.
• Week of May 18, 2023 - Ben Dowd Construction, the pipe subcontractor, completed the installation and testing of the Ute Water Main that crosses the bridge. The project has entered the utility reinstallation phase and multiple crews will be mobilizing and working on their respective portions of the project. The Engineering Department would like to remind the public that the bridge remains closed to all modes of transportation including vehicular, bicycles and pedestrians. Public safety is a primary concern and hazardous conditions remain and will continue to change in location and severity in the construction zone.
• Week of May 26, 2023 - Ben Dowd Construction, the pipe subcontractor, extended a stormwater drain on the southeast corner of the bridge to mitigate erosion problems that developed during construction. They are also relocating an irrigation drain line on the northeast corner of the bridge to eliminate installation conflicts with the high-pressure gas main, distribution gas main and guardrail intended for that area of the bridge. Black Eagle, the contractor responsible for the high-pressure gas main installation, mobilized to the site and began excavating trenches for the final pipeline location and began preparing the 4” steel pipe that is being installed across the bridge. The high-pressure gas main installation is scheduled for completion on June 9, 2023. The Engineering Department would like to remind the public that the bridge remains closed to all modes of transportation including vehicular, bicycles and pedestrians. Public safety is a primary concern and hazardous conditions remain and will continue to change in location and severity in the construction zone.
• July 2023 - Each week, our Engineering Department works with contractors to move the project forward. The bridge is not only utilized for vehicular transportation, but it is also used for transporting utilities. Before construction could begin, these utility lines had to be relocated off the old bridge prior to demolition. Now, these utilities are being reinstalled to their permanent location on the new bridge. Many of the items remaining are specialized tasks with different contractors and subcontractors responsible for completing the work. There will be periods when it appears no work is being accomplished due to the completion of one task early one week and the subsequent contractor/subcontractor being scheduled to start the following week. The anticipated completion date for the project is mid-September. We appreciate the community’s patience as we work to finish the final pieces. There's still more work to be done, but we are getting closer each day!

  Here is a detailed list of the work to be completed:

  ~ Telecommunication companies and their subcontractors install their permanent facilities across the Little Salt Wash.

  ~ Roadway and sidewalk excavation to subgrade and finish grading of base coarse for sidewalk construction

  ~ Base coarse installation and compaction

  ~ Guardrail Installation

  ~ Adjustment of storm drain and manhole covers

  ~ Concrete sidewalk construction

  ~ Sandblasting the concrete deck

  ~ Application of two layers of epoxy coating and chips on the bridge deck

  ~ Finish grading of base coarse for roadway

  ~ Asphalt paving of the road

  ~ Striping the asphalt and bridge

  ~ Project cleanup and demobilization

• Week of August 4, 2023 - GA Western returned to the site and completed work on erosion control measures by placing rock riprap at the outfall of irrigation drainage pipes. A riprap channel was completed on the north side of the wash where Xcel had located their temporary bypass pipeline during the construction of the bridge. Xcel had a power linemen crew remove the last remaining power pole after the telecommunication companies completed their work. Ben Dowd Construction had a crew that excavated the disturbed roadway area to subgrade elevation 22” below the proposed finished grade. The subgrade was recompacted, and 17” of base course material was installed and compacted. Gonzales Construction is scheduled to begin work on the guardrails on Monday, August 7.

• Week of August 11, 2023 - Gonzales Construction mobilized to the site on Monday and began work on the guardrails. MA Concrete Construction provided potholing services for the guardrails on the east side of the bridge where the high-pressure and distribution gas mains are located. The potholing is a safe means of excavating next to the gas mains to ensure the safe installation of the guardrails. The guardrail installation was completed on Thursday. Dowd Construction continued work on the base course installation and preparation for concrete curb, gutter, and sidewalks to complete all sidewalks on each corner of the bridge. Mays Concrete is scheduled to begin work on the curb, gutter, and sidewalks next week.

• Week of August 18, 2023 - Mays Construction mobilized to the site on Tuesday and began work on the curb, gutter, and sidewalks (C, G, & SW). The work by Mays Construction ties all the existing C, G & SW along Pine Street into the new bridge. There remains one portion to complete on the southwest corner of the project which was left out to ensure access to the residents in that area. Mays Construction intends to complete the last of the C, G & SW next Monday. GA Western will re-mobilize to the site next week to prepare the bridge deck by sandblasting the surface and then applying the epoxy coating to the bridge deck.

• Week of September 8, 2023 - GA Western continued with site cleanup and placed the final concrete cap on a large block retaining wall. Final road base preparations, paving, striping, fence construction, and revegetation are all scheduled to occur next week.

• September 15, 2023 - The Pine Street Bridge officially reopened on Wednesday night! Thank you Fruita for your patience throughout this project.  

• WD Yards mobilized to the site and completed the chainlink fence across the bridge.  They are also completing the fence reconstruction for fences that were removed on adjoining properties to facilitate the bridge construction. Ben Dowd Excavation mobilized back to the site on Monday morning and completed the road base preparation and compaction. Asphalt Specialists mobilized on Wednesday and completed the asphalt paving on the north and south sides of the bridge. Straight Edge Striping arrived on site Wednesday afternoon and completed the roadway striping. A shout out to Marc Mancuso of the Parks and Recreation Department who provided backpack blowers and assistance for the final cleaning of debris from the roadway after all road work was completed and prior to reopening the road. CC Enterprises pulled the traffic control signs after the final roadway cleaning was complete. There will be additional work in the roadway as Asphalt Specialists will have to expose and install manhole rings in the roadway.  Single lane closures with traffic control will be utilized to ensure Pine Street remains open during this work. GA Western continued with minor site cleanup and punch list items. WD Yards will complete the revegetation work while coordinating with the affected property owners. The Engineering Department would like to thank the community for their patience as we completed this infrastructure improvement project.