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 DENVER — Pueblo’s 4th Street Bridge Project was presented with the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) Environmental Excellence Project Award at the monthly meeting of the Colorado Transportation Commission. The new 4th Street Bridge, which crosses over 28 active railroad tracks, the Arkansas River, a pedestrian and bike path, and city street, was constructed adjacent to the 1958 structure it replaced. The construction team used a cast-in-place cantilever method, wetland pad, river barrier, bridge removal decking over the river, onsite dewatering, and other innovative methods to avoid or minimize impacts to the surrounding environment, including wetlands, water quality, historic resources, and migratory birds.

“This accomplishment was a great team effort,” said CDOT Regional Transportation Director Tom Wrona. “They successfully overcame many environmental challenges by incorporating CDOT’s best management practices and, in some instances, leaving the surrounding area even better than when the project started. I commend the team for their dedication to excellence.”

Construction of the $27.7 million project began in December 2007 and was completed in July 2011. The crossing consists of two bridges, 1,200 feet long, with two, 12-foot travel lanes, six-foot inside shoulders, 10-foot outside shoulders, and 10-foot sidewalks.

Flatiron Constructors Inc. of Longmont, Colo., was the project’s prime contractor; FIGG Engineering of Denver designed the bridge.

The annual Environmental Excellence Awards helps foster CDOT’s environmental ethic through recognition of transportation projects, maintenance activities and CDOT staff that exemplify the Department’s commitment to environmental excellence. The Project category acknowledges a team that incorporated progressive environmental strategies into the design, implementation, construction and/or operation of a project or program. It also emphasizes design or construction methods that significantly minimized impacts or enhanced the environment on a specific project.

Award recipients are selected by a rotating panel, consisting of staff from CDOT Headquarters, the six CDOT regions and the Federal Highway Administration.