The City of Colorado Springs needs to close 90-year-old Cache La Poudre/Mesa Road Bridge over Monument Creek for major rehabilitation work. The bridge is in Monument Valley Park, between Glen Avenue and Mesa Road, just west of Colorado College.
Full closure of the bridge is necessary to ensure public and worker safety. The City project team expect to begin in late March – exact timing depends on weather and other factors – and continue through 2026. The rehabilitation work will include a deck replacement, widening of the sidewalks, roadway and drainage improvements, bridge lighting and updated accessibility. The bridge has tremendous practical, historical and artistic importance to our community, and its many historic and artistic features will be preserved.
Construction Impacts
The 90-year-old City bridge is used by vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic, trail users, and park and pool users/pickleball players. The bridge will fully close to all forms of traffic during construction with a trail and vehicular detours in place. Vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians will not be able to cross the bridge during construction.
North and south trail continuity will be maintained during construction; however, the new trail under the bridge’s east connection will need to be temporarily closed during construction for safety reasons due to overhead construction.
Works Progress Administration (WPA) rock walls constructed in the 1930s on the east side of the creek bank and under the bridge will not be impacted by the project.
Information about detours and alternate routes for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians will be available soon. The Pikes Peak Greenway Trail will remain open on at least one side of Monument Creek during the project.
Bridge History
The Cache La Poudre Street / Mesa Road Bridge over Monument Creek is part of Monument Valley Park and includes architectural features from the 1930s. Monument Valley Park was established by the City founder General William Jackson Palmer and opened to the public in 1907. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
The original rustic bridge structure across Monument Creek at this spot was destroyed by a flood in May 1935. That bridge, designed by O. O. Phillips of Colorado Springs City Engineering, was replaced with the existing 232-foot-long Art Deco style bridge constructed through Works Progress Administration (WPA) funding and opened to traffic in the spring of 1936. It’s the only remaining art deco architecture style bridge in El Paso County.
Bridge Location
Design Process
Both the form and function of the bridge will be addressed through the rehabilitation project. The future appearance of the bridge was a major consideration during design.
The unique architectural characteristics of the existing bridge were considered and accommodated where possible with the design and recommended repairs.
A preliminary infrastructure survey of the existing bridge included the Works Progress Administration (WPA) walls, roadway elements from Glen Avenue to Mesa Road, trail connections, drainage, facia panels, light standards, required bridge site data and other important visible features.
Existing lighting and fixtures will be either reused or replicated as closely to the originals as possible, and sign upgrades will be compatible with existing signage. Trail crossing improvements will be made at both the east and west ends of the bridge.
The project team has engaged with stakeholders and community representatives for their input on the project, including with adjacent neighborhoods, Colorado College, historic preservation groups, Friends of Monument Valley Park, the bicycling community, and Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services, among others.
Funding
The project design and construction are funded by the City of Colorado Springs through the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority.