Our team provided design and Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) procurement services for the City of Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Regional Transportation Authority (PPRTA) to replace the Academy Boulevard Bridge and connect Cottonwood Creek Trail at Academy Boulevard. The bridge was a former Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) structure with minimal pedestrian facilities and lies adjacent to an intersection serving multiple dense developments. The project includes a new, two span prestressed concrete beam bridge, roadway widening to accommodate additional turn lanes, and multi-use sidewalk along the entire length of the bridge, resulting in improved traffic capacity, operation, and safe pedestrian access.

The project also provides a vital 1.1 mile Cottonwood Creek Trail connection under Academy Boulevard from Union Boulevard all the way to the Pikes Peak Greenway. In addition to drainage and channel improvements to Cottonwood Creek, other enhancements included a roadway storm sewer pipe system and channel stabilization with two new drop structures, and channel riprap while maintaining a “no-rise” condition. 

 

Traffic control was also a critical element in the design. Maintaining four lanes of traffic and access to adjacent businesses was imperative in this confined section of Academy Boulevard. We worked closely with City Engineers to accommodate a safe and effective traffic layout.

 

The drainage analysis concentrated on the development of a bridge and trail geometry that would allow the proposed bridge to pass an appropriate design year with the maximum amount of freeboard. Channel design included grading, channel shaping, design of two grouted stepped boulder grade control structures, and development of channel revetment to promote the proper function of the proposed bridge. In a related project for another client, we designed improvements to replace two failed grade control structures to further stabilize the channel upstream of the bridge.

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The project followed the CM/GC contracting method which allows the design engineer consultant to work directly with the client design engineers and selected general contractor in a joint effort to reduce construction cost through collaboration efforts during the design process. Our team facilitated the City of Colorado Springs’ first CM/GC procurement for a multi-million dollar project and has been recognized locally for our understanding of the CM/GC process.

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Services Provided:

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• Drainage Improvements

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• Channel Stabilization

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• Bridge Design

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