AASHTO Journal, 1 February 2013
Colorado residents are now able to check the status of bridges that are in the process of being repaired thanks to a new website launched by Colorado Department of Transportation.
CDOT created the website so that the public can track Colorado’s bridges deemed in “poor” condition (which currently includes nearly 120 bridges) as the Colorado Bridge Enterprise (CBE) plans, designs, and builds new structures. The website includes an interactive map so citizens can look at specific areas of interest and the bridges in those areas.
“A small portion of your vehicle registration fees are dedicated to repairing and replacing poor bridges in Colorado,” said CDOT Executive Director Don Hunt. “One of our goals is to clearly demonstrate how taxpayer dollars are being spent and what bridges are being replaced. This website will allow us to accomplish this goal and allow citizens to follow our progress.”
CBE was created in 2009 to finance, repair, reconstruct, and replace those bridges that are considered structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. To pay for CBE to fix or replace these bridges, the state imposed a bridge safety surcharge (up to $32) for vehicle registration, based on vehicle weight. Colorado estimates the surcharge collects about $100 million in funding.