Alameda Avenue's bridge over the South Platte River is in its Ship of Theseus era, slowly being replaced as it remains in use for drivers and a few pedestrians and cyclists.
Built in 1911 (and last revamped in 1966), the bridge was the oldest in our state highway system. All this to say, it needed an upgrade.
The Colorado Department of Transportation has already replaced its northern half and added a sidewalk there, too.
They'll begin demolishing the southern half this week. As of this writing, CDOT has not posted any notices about road closures on the project's website.
The South Platte River Trail below Alameda remains closed
Denver Parks and Rec shut down that segment in April 2023 to make way for the bridge rebuild. Trail users have to go up to the street level and wait for the stoplight to cross Alameda. Last year, Parks and Rec told us the bike lane should open before the bridge is finished.
A few people stuck at that stoplight told us the detour really puts a damper on their rides. Patrick Coughlin, who takes this northbound route every now and then, told us he was dreading Alameda during his entire ride.
"It's just, both sides around the detour are fun, great. Then I get stuck up in traffic, where riding a bike is somewhat dangerous," he said. "I feel least safe right here."
Still, Coughlin said he gets that upgrades need to happen.
That's what we also heard from Phil Heyer, who rides this section weekly.
"It is what it is," he said, adding that this detour is at least better than the one he had to contend with when another section of the trail was closed by a busted retaining wall.
Fittingly, there's an e-bike shop right there on Lipan Street, just north of Alameda. Chris Kelly, who was inside fixing a bike, said the construction hasn't been too bad for business. They can still easily send interested buyers on test rides along the trail.
But Kelly's commute, specifically, has been impacted. He said he quit riding to work to avoid crossing the river. But he added the new sidewalk on the bridge's new north side looks way more inviting than the old one.
He expects he'll start riding to work again pretty soon.
"They are getting it done," he said.
