The bridge over the Cache la Poudre River on North Shields Street will take a step closer to replacement on Monday, when Larimer County releases a Request for Proposals for design and engineering services.
The $4 million project will include improvements to 0.85 mile of North Shields (County Road 17) from the Arthur Ditch to Willox Lane (County Road 50), near access to the Poudre River Trail just north of the Fort Collins city limits, as well as replacing the 51-year-old bridge.
This project, which will be funded with federal grants and coordinated through the Colorado Department of Transportation, is a high priority for the county. The 122-foot-long bridge is in poor structural condition and only 29 feet wide. The overall width should be closer to 63 feet to accommodate three traffic lanes, two bike lanes and two pedestrian sidewalks, according to the county engineering department.
The design and engineering RFP will be available only on the Larimer County website at www.larimer.org/bids/, as of Oct. 10. The deadline to submit a response will be Oct. 28, and a pre-proposal meeting with be held Oct. 19 at the County Courthouse on West Oak Street in Fort Collins.
The county commissioners intend to award a contract before the end of the year, with construction scheduled to take place in 2014.
North Shields will be closed to traffic during construction, with detours to Vine Drive and/or College Avenue/U.S. Highway 287.