Construction of the US$98.6 million Highway 550 in South Colorado is taking shape and is expected to be completed by the spring of 2023. By the end of next month, cement is expected to be poured on the Gulch A Bridge or the “Bridge to Nowhere”, a 180-meter span along with the 77-meter Gulch B Bridge to its north will link the realigned Highway 550 to what is officially called the Grandview Interchange. Once the cement is laid on the first bridge, construction trucks can use it to move the gravel and earth removed in cuts required for the building of the bridges from north of Gulch A to the realigned lanes to the south.
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The general contractor, Lawrence Construction Co won the contract for the job by proposing to reuse the earth dug out in building the bridges, bringing about environmental benefit. “One of the innovations we found beneficial with Lawrence’s and RS&H’s proposal was they chose to use the material, to grab that material and keep it within the alignment of the corridor,” said a Colorado Department of Transportation resident engineer and project director of the Highway 550 realignment, David Valentinelli. Use of the earth excavated in the bridge cuts also greatly reduces construction traffic, as it does not have to be transported off-site.
The project involves constructing a new 1.1-mile section of Highway 550 north of County Road 220 that will be four lanes, to connect to the Grandview Exchange but it also includes widening a 3.3-mile section of Highway 550 south of County Road 220 to four lanes and merging it into the County Road 302 intersection. The benefit of this realignment is that it eliminates the steep and shaded descent on Farmington Hill, which provided winter-driving difficulties. The hill is frequently closed during snowstorms.
