Resurfacing work could take as long as 3 months
Trips on Highway 14 between Aurora and Central City will take a little longer, possibly starting this week. The Platte River bridge between Hamilton and Merrick counties is undergoing a major deck rehab and travel will be limited to one lane for as long as three months.
The asphalt pavement of the bridge was milled off several weeks ago in preparation for the project and repairs have been completed to the shoulders at both ends of the structure.
Adam Schuldt, the project manager for the state Department of Transportation, says the project is one of eight bridges being rehabilitated in the district with two others being on the Platte crossing south of Clarks on Highway 92. Schuldt said with the completion of those projects the crew from JMN Construction LLC of Valley moved to the Central City bridge this week. He said the project includes repairs to the concrete bridge deck, replacement of the main expansion joint near the middle of the bridge, laying down a waterproof membrane and then overlaying the bridge with three inches of new asphalt.
Schuldt said the process will mean having to restrict traffic to one lane using a concrete barrier in the middle and then controlling the flow of traffic through the use of a stop light. He said the expansion joints at the ends of the bridge will be repaired after the new mat is laid.
The project is expected to take one and a half months per lane, so it may not be completed until sometime in October. Schuldt said the traffic control light will be controlled using sensors but the wait to cross could be up to two minutes.