Aspen approves expanded Castle Creek Bridge investigation

The Aspen City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a contract with Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. to conduct an extended survey of the Castle Creek Bridge. The bridge, built in 1961, is ending its lifespan after 75 years.

This was not the first investigation of its kind; the city had previously approved a nearly $542,000 investigation of the Castle Creek Bridge in August 2023.

This year’s contract focuses on providing consulting services for a comprehensive assessment of the bridge. The investigation builds on previous work by Jacobs Engineering, including a bridge feasibility report, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) options, and an S-curve impact analysis.

The amended contract, valued at $639,829, outlines a series of tasks that must be completed on a time and materials basis to the budgeted amount. Jacobs Engineering will perform several key tasks over the next five months, including project management, project meetings, traffic model development, S-curve refinement and more.

The company will also study potential bridge replacement options and the economic impact on local businesses and tourism once construction begins. The economic impact analysis alone costs more than $60,000.

Once all options have been reviewed, the City Council hopes to hold two more bridge talks before August.

City Council member Bill Guth said he saw no point in analyzing the economic impact of a possible implementation of the project.

“I don’t think that should be the main reason for the decision-making,” he said.

City Manager Sara Ott said the contract included an economic impact analysis because “community members had concerns about the three- to five-year construction timeline.”

In addition to an analysis of the economic impacts, short-term solutions during the construction period are also being examined, such as the use of temporary bridges.

After some reflection, both the economic impact analysis and the alternative footprint analysis were retained in the resolution.

The decision is a strategic move by the city of Aspen to ensure that the Castle Creek Bridge project is thoroughly studied and aligned with the city’s long-term mobility plans, city documents show.

Council member Sam Rose stressed that the process must be accelerated.

“At some point the bridge will have to be rebuilt,” he said.