Grand Avenue over the Colorado River
Glenwood Springs, CO
Glenwood Springs gets its name from a natural hot spring beside the Colorado River. In the late 19th a spa was built around the spring, with a huge open pool fed by the spring. The historic spa buildings and the town's railroad station are faced with a distinctive local red sandstone which became the signature architectural material for Glenwood Springs. The Grand Avenue bridge connects Interstate 70 to Glenwood's downtown as well as to Aspen, CO and other popular Colorado recreation areas. The bridge enters the downtown right down the middle of Grand Avenue, leaving barely 20 feet of clearance to the fronts of the retail buildings on either side. A separate pedestrian bridge connects the downtown to the spa and its associated hotels.
The project includes a new vehicular bridge connecting to a new intersection serving Interstate 70. A new pedestrian bridge reduces the slope of the path for walkers and bicyclists while providing overlooks at key points along its route. A new elevator/stair tower connects the south end of the pedestrian bridge to the downtown sidewalks at Seventh Street. Both bridges use steel box girders that permit simplified piers and keep the view of the undersides clean and uncomplicated. The piers and parapets are faced with red sandstone in order to create a visual connection with the Glenwood's historic buildings.