W. 8th Avenue Over South Platte River Bridge Replacement

The City and County of Denver and contractor partner Ames Construction replaced the 8th Avenue bridge over the South Platte River.  To improve public safety, the 92-year old bridge had been demolished and was replaced with a wider bridge which added a second eastbound through lane and 10-foot wide multi-use sidewalks on both sides of the bridge.

The $10.8 M project was funded through the Elevate Denver bond program (approved by voters in 2017).  Connections to the South Platte River Trail were enhanced to provide an important regional link for recreation and commuting.

Improvements Included

• Replacement of the 8th Avenue bridge over S. Platte River
• Widening the bridge to add a second eastbound through lane
• Adding 10-foot wide sidewalks on both sides of the bridge
• Adding pedestrian lighting on the bridge
• Upgrading and improving curb ramps at pedestrian crossings
• Widening the S. Platte River Trail under the bridge and replacing trail ramps leading up to the bridge
• Adding trail connection through Frog Hollow Park to 8th Avenue
• Upgrading/replacing the traffic signal at 8th Avenue and Zuni
• Improving aesthetics and safety with new retaining walls

Project Benefits

• Increases comfort and safety for pedestrians and bicyclists
• Improves access to S. Platte River Trail for recreating and commuting
• Eliminates need for abrupt lane changes to reduce crashes
• Enhances driver comfort through wider lanes across the bridge

Construction Update - May 2022

Bridge Replacement Completed

Construction Update - March 22, 2022

Bridge Replacement Continues

In September 2021, Ames Construction implemented detours for both vehicular traffic along 8th Avenue as well as pedestrian traffic on the South Platte River Trail.  The existing bridge was demolished in November 2021 to allow crews to begin construction on the new bridge.  So far in 2022, crews have constructed the new bridge abutments and pier, and the new bridge girders were set in place in early March.  The pictures below show the new bridge girders being lifted and set in place.  Future bridge construction includes pouring the new concrete deck and tying-in the new bridge structure into existing 8th Avenue.  Crews will also complete South Platte River Trail reconstruction under the new bridge as part of this project. 

Detours

Since September 2021, the bridge over the South Platte River on 8th Avenue was closed to all traffic so bridge removal operations could commence.  Detours remain in place. Message boards are placed on roads near the site and corresponding detours to provide the public with travel updates.  Included below is the detour plan for vehicular traffic to follow.

Update

The bridge replacement project remains on schedule with 8th Avenue to be opened back up to the public in May 2022 and final completion of the project anticipated in July 2022.  All dates are approximate and subject to change based on weather and other construction conditions.  Access to businesses along 8th Avenue will remain open during construction. Property owners should continue to anticipate a higher flow of traffic on Federal Blvd., Kalamath Street, Decatur Street, and Santa Fe Drive.

The existing 8th Ave bridge has now been removed

Demolition of 8th Avenue Bridge begins

Project Map

Project Map - Full Size(JPG, 296KB)

Project Detours

Detour Map - Full Size(JPG, 303KB)

Bridge Lane Configuration