Aspen bridge inspection reveals surface rust, no structural issues
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
A Colorado Department of Transportation team on Thursday completed a precautionary inspection of Aspen’s Castle Creek Bridge, following a citizen’s report of falling debris.
The bridge, located on Colorado Highway 82, serves as the main vehicular entry into Aspen.
The inspection, which ran from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., revealed only superficial rust. No structural issues were found.
Earlier this week, a local homeowner reported seeing what appeared to be a small flake of rust fall from the structure. CDOT quickly mobilized a team of bridge, structural, and maintenance personnel to assess the condition of the span.
“This inspection was instigated by a notification from a local citizen who witnessed a small piece of rust fall from the bridge,” said CDOT Regional Transportation Director Jason Smith. “At CDOT, the safety of our community members, travelers, and our teams is paramount, as seen by the speed and thoroughness of this inspection process. We also truly appreciate the input from our community members.”
During the inspection, workers identified areas of surface-level corrosion. These spots were scraped and ground down to remove any potential for additional flakes detaching onto the roadway, pedestrians, or adjacent homes along Power Plant Road.
The agency emphasized that this inspection does not replace the more comprehensive evaluations conducted every 24 months as part of CDOT’s standard bridge maintenance protocol.
CDOT Regional Communications Manager Chuck Marsh said on Wednesday that “this is not a proper, big bridge inspection,” which was prompted by the falling debris report.
The Castle Creek Bridge received a “fair” condition rating during its last full inspection in 2024.
Lane closures were implemented on Thursday during the inspection window, with flaggers positioned at both ends of the bridge to manage traffic flow. Commuters experienced moderate delays throughout the day but were informed in advance to plan accordingly.
As detailed in The Aspen Times’ earlier report, CDOT officials had stressed that the bridge remained structurally sound and that the inspection was being conducted out of an abundance of caution to prevent minor corrosion from posing a hazard.
No follow-up maintenance actions are currently scheduled beyond CDOT’s routine inspection schedule.
