Basalt begins construction on pedestrian bridge by schools

As part of its Safe Routes to School project, Basalt has begun improvements on Emma Bridge — a pedestrian and bicycle bridge near Basalt Elementary School and Basalt Middle School — on Basalt Avenue and Two Rivers Road. 

The Emma Bridge portion of the Safe Routes project addresses deterioration that the current bridge was facing due to the absence of a drainage system, according to Basalt Town Engineer Catherine Christoff. 

“The existing bridge lacked an adequate drainage system, and as a result over time, the planters that had existed began to deteriorate, and the bridge decking had begun to degrade,” Christoff said. “The project will address the bridge deck deterioration, provide adequate drainage, improve safety for the traveling public and school children, accommodate snow-removal operations and create a ‘park-on-a-bridge’ experience overlooking the Roaring Fork River.”

The construction began in early March, according to the town. The continuing hours will be between the town’s regulated construction period of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, though the town noted that construction will likely be limited to between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is anticipated to take around four months to complete. 

“The Emma Bridge is a critical piece of infrastructure that supports walking and biking throughout the community,” Town Manager Gloria Kaasch-Buerger said. “It provides a safe route for students traveling to school (and) access to the RFTA stop, and serves as a key multimodal connection between Southside and East Basalt.”

According to the project page on letstalk.basalt.net, a community page run by the town, the Emma Bridge connects “disparate areas” of Two Rivers Road currently missing pedestrian infrastructure. The bridge offers a shortcut between historic downtown Basalt, the elementary and middle schools and Highway 82, where the major public transportation spots are. 

Basalt is aiming to add bike lanes, pedestrian separation, crosswalk connections, ADA accessible sidewalks, improved signage, pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements, flashing signals, improved lighting, updated drainage and improved parking near the bridge in the Safe Routes project. 

According to a press release announcing the first phase of the project, which includes this bridge construction, current pedestrian and bicycle access will generally be maintained throughout the construction period. However, when overlaying concrete is poured, pedestrian and bicycle access will not be available. 

The town has stated that they will provide clear messaging prior to that date. 

Its staff have also said that they aim to keep the bridge accessible during school drop-off and pick-up times. 

Future phases of the Safe Routes project will focus on the areas east of the bridge where there are not currently bike lanes, pedestrian separation and crosswalk connections.