BYERS, Colo. — Drivers say it’s not only a scary bridge, but it’s also a serious safety hazard.
Adams County is now trying to figure out if it needs to replace a 60-year-old, 360-foot bridge that has suddenly taken a turn for the worst - perhaps beyond repair.
“Everyday commute, this is what you have to deal with,” said Maria Mills, who drives the bridge every day to work. “I’ve had six flat tires in a year.”
She’s talking about the Calhoun/Byers Road bridge 10 miles north of Byers that is becoming a real hazard.
“Have the commissioner, have them drive up and down these roads,” Mills said.
For its part - Adams County is responding.
“We were notified about this on Monday, and we were out there on Wednesday by 10 a.m.,” said Jim Siedlecki, spokesman for Adams County.
Siedlecki said Wednesday the county is taking immediate action on the potentially dangerous bridge decay.
“After a really rugged harvest season, that bridge is deteriorating quickly,” Siedlecki said. “Matter of fact – tomorrow we’re going to post some signage out there that’s going to restrict the weight limit for that bridge down to 15 tons.”
That’s about the weight of a fully-loaded school bus. The Byers school district uses the road.
Signs will also drop the speed limit to 30 miles per hour.
The county says it will work swiftly to determine if repairs will suffice - or if a full bridge replacement is needed.
“If it’s a comprehensive replacement of that bridge, it probably can’t happen until spring because design work has to take place, we have to allocate the money,” Siedlecki said.
In the meantime – Mills cautions her neighbors to take it slow.
“All of my tires have been replaced,” Mills said. “The holes in that bridge are just huge. And there’s rebar sticking out, and it’s just falling apart.”