The historic Gunnison River Bridge, located on Highway 92 (roughly 3 hours away from Ouray, CO), is available for adoption to a public or private entity that wants to relocate it. The old bridge is 83 years old and is one of the longest remaining (only 3 to be exact!) Camelback pony truss bridges on the state highway system.
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has opened the bridge for adoption because it has been deemed structurally and functionally obsolete and is for replacement in November. However, CDOT wants to preserve the history, so anyone willing to relocate and reassemble the old bridge is qualified to adopt it. The bridge measures 125 feet long and 33 feet wide, with a dire need for a new deck.
CDOT doesn’t want this bridge to go to just anyone. Their primary focus is preserving the rich history and working to keep it. If you are interested in adopting the bridge, you must submit a relocation plan to detail future use and location, and list out resources available for proper repairs and future maintenance. You must also state a plan to follow environmental regulations and regulations with some of the materials, such as paint, since they are extremely outdated and will need a detox.
To learn more about the Gunnison River Bridge project, head over to: https://www.codot.gov/projects/co92-gunnisonriverbridge.
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