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Bridge work underway on Weld County Road 44

Published on October 15, 2024

Construction equipment - a hard hat, gloves and goggles on a loader.

The final phase of work to rebuild Weld County Road (WCR) 44 from WCR 49 to WCR 57 south of Kersey began Monday with the reconstruction of Bridge 44/51A. To allow the Weld County Department of Public Works time to safely complete the project, the Weld County Board of Commissioners has approved the temporary closure of WCR 44 between WCR 51 and WCR 53 from Oct. 14, 2024, until Feb. 28, 2025. Detours can be found on Weld County’s Road Advisory Map.

Over the next several months, the current bridge will be demolished, and a new bridge will be built in its place. The new bridge will feature a stronger structure, a new driving surface and be wider and longer, characteristics that will enhance its safety and ensure it can continue meeting traffic demand. Traffic counts from the Weld County Department of Public Works show that an average of 1,473 vehicles travel on WCR 44 daily between WCR 51 and WCR 53, with 48% of that traffic being heavy trucks.

“Making our roads as safe and efficient as possible is a priority every year, and this bridge project helps us meet that goal,” said Kevin Ross, Weld County Commissioner Chair. “We know road closures can be inconvenient, but we believe the end result will be a bridge that benefits the traveling public for many years.”

Improving the WCR 44 Corridor has been a longstanding goal of public works, and over the past several years work has been done to enhance several segments of the road. The bridge project is the last step necessary to complete the segment of WCR 44 between WCR 49 and 57, something that makes Weld County Public Works Director Curtis Hall particularly excited.

“The bridge will tie together the work we’ve done over the past few years on WCR 44 from WCR 49 to WCR 57,” Hall said. “It’s taken a while to work through ditch companies’ concerns, but we’re ready to get this project started and eager to deliver on our vision of a safer, more efficient road, with the bridge being the final piece of the project.”