More than 50 of Denver’s bridges for vehicle traffic are in worse condition than two viaducts chosen for sizable investment under the city’s proposed bond package, according to city records.
Those two projects, for West Eighth and Sixth avenues, are next door to a potential site under consideration by the Denver Broncos for a new stadium. The city would allocate a combined $140 million for them, or nearly 15% of the “Vibrant Denver” bond package’s overall dollars, under a ballot measure voters may consider this November.
After City Council members scrutinized the bridge projects near Burnham Yard, some community members have suggested the repairs would benefit the wealthy owners of the Broncos — while crowding out other projects they consider deserving. City officials have insisted the reason they prioritized the sites had nothing to do with the NFL team’s potential plans.
“There is no connection in any form or fashion. … This is just necessary infrastructure that is deteriorating and needs to be addressed,” said Patrick Riley, the city’s bond project manager. “This is about bridges, this isn’t about Broncos.”
Both viaducts have bridge condition ratings of “fair,” records show, while dozens of bridges have worse ratings. The Eighth Avenue viaduct, which runs from west of Tejon Street to Mariposa Street to cross over several rail lines and the yard, was closed for a weekend late last month for maintenance, including the installation of plates over two damaged expansion joints.
The bond projects would provide more repairs for Eighth as well as replace the eastern part of the viaduct with a ground-level roadway, including through Burnham Yard. The Sixth project would include structural repairs and mobility and access improvements.
In recent months, The Denver Post has reported on stadium discussions underway between the Broncos and Mayor Mike Johnston’s office, as well as the governor’s office, since the now-defunct 58-acre railyard is owned by the state.
The debate over the bridges has dominated recent conversations about the bond proposal, which would allow city officials to sell $950 million in bonds to pay for a list of nearly 60 capital projects of different kinds throughout Denver. The city would repay the bonds over time, with interest, through property taxes.
If the council gives final approval Monday to the five proposed bond questions — which are separated by topic — voters will be asked on November’s ballot if they want the city to take out the debt. The package passed a key hurdle last week, but council members still have an opportunity to change or delay the proposal before the final vote.
Council members would have to approve the package by Aug. 25 at the latest for those questions to appear on the ballot.
The bond package also includes improvements and projects for parks and recreation, health and human services, city facilities, and housing and shelter, plus administrative and contingency costs.
The bond proposal wouldn’t raise taxes, officials say, because it would replace existing debt that the city is paying off now. If voters rejected the proposal, however, taxes could go toward paying down prior bonds faster.
Denver’s bridge bill
The Eighth Avenue viaduct reconstruction is the most expensive in the project list and is slated to cost $89 million. The Sixth Avenue viaduct project is set to receive $50 million.
About 13% of the city’s 403 vehicular bridges are rated “structurally deficient,” according to an online city dashboard. The Sixth and Eighth bridges, though, are rated as “fair.”
Riley said officials elevated those two proposals because the structures, which provide connections to Interstate 25, are key arteries and have pricier costs than other worse-off bridges, making them harder to finance. The Sixth Avenue bridge is likely to cost about $450 million total eventually.
Riley said city officials hope to make investments now that will attract future federal funding to help pay for the project.
“I do think there’s a potential that we’re discussing Eighth being closed in the not-too-distant future if you don’t make this investment now,” he said. “Doing this any other way would cause significant disruptions.”
When asked if there could be less-expensive options for repairing the viaducts, Riley said these were already scaled-back requests. The Eighth Avenue viaduct was earlier considered for the 2017 Elevate Denver bond package but was pared back to include only minimal repairs, he said.
During a council committee meeting on July 22, Councilwoman Sarah Parady pressed Riley on why the projects were chosen over others. She asked directly if the Broncos were a consideration.
“It is impossible to not get to that thought process,” Riley responded then. “Telling you that there’s no weight there or that there’s no consideration there would be insulting to everybody at this table.”
Other projects didn’t make cut
Others outside the council have questioned the selections as well, even while agreeing that the proposed repairs are a good idea.
“If someone else could pay for it, we shouldn’t,” said June Churchill, the budget chair of an advisory board for the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. “It’s not the worst idea if we fund infrastructure around there, but the question is: Does it have to be our bill?”
Jill Locantore, the executive director of the Denver Streets Partnership, served as chair of the subcommittee that made recommendations for transportation bond projects. She said she thought uncertainty around Burnham Yard’s future would make nearby bridge projects less of a priority compared to something like the long-awaited Broadway bike lane extension. That two-way bikeway now runs south of Speer Boulevard, but advocates have pressed to extend it north toward downtown.
“It’s just mysterious to me how Eighth Avenue ended up in the final project list presented to council,” she said, “and north Broadway didn’t.”
The subcommittee recommended the Eighth Avenue project under its Tier 1 list, while Sixth Avenue was under Tier 2.
Bike advocates are also frustrated that these costly projects were chosen and more investment in new bike lanes wasn’t.
“We need to complete the (bike lane) network,” said Allen Cowgill, another member of the DOTI advisory board. “To me, that’s the largest missing piece from this.”
Two bridges over Cherry Creek, along Sixth Avenue and Lincoln Street, are also set to be removed and replaced under the bond proposal. They are rated as being in “poor” and “fair” condition, respectively.
The council will take up the bond proposals during its Monday afternoon meeting, which starts at 3:30 p.m.
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