Historic Bridges in Colorado

857 bridges built before 1951 in Colorado still in service today.

Bridges Built Before 1951

The United States has 857 bridges in Colorado built before 1951 that remain in active service. These structures are 75+ years old — many predate modern engineering codes and were not designed for today's traffic volumes and vehicle weights. The average design life of a bridge is 50 years, making these aging structures a significant infrastructure concern.

Clear
Bridge State Condition Year Built Age (Years) ADT
COAL CREEK Colorado Fair 1939 87 5,100
COTTONWOOD CREEK Colorado Fair 1939 87 9,400
SMITH HILL CREEK Colorado Fair 1939 87 9,400
N FK CLEAR CREEK AR Colorado Fair 1939 87 1
LEE GULCH Colorado Fair 1939 87 44,000
BIG DRY CREEK Colorado Fair 1939 87 62,000
DRAW SR Colorado Fair 1939 87 141
DRAW SR Colorado Fair 1939 87 141
DRAW SR Colorado Fair 1939 87 141
ARKANSAS RIVER Colorado Fair 1939 87 1,600
CALIFORNIA GULCH Colorado Poor 1939 87 1,600
DRAW Colorado Fair 1939 87 3,700
LONG GULCH CREEK Colorado Poor 1939 87 2,300
LOST CREEK Colorado Fair 1939 87 2,600
BRUSH CREEK Colorado Fair 1939 87 2,400
ARROYO Colorado Fair 1939 87 1,600
ARROYO Colorado Fair 1939 87 1,600
DRAW Colorado Fair 1939 87 1,700
GOODENOUGH GULCH Colorado Fair 1939 87 1,900
DRAW Colorado Fair 1939 87 1,600
WEST CARRIZO CREEK Colorado Poor 1939 87 17
RULE CREEK Colorado Fair 1939 87 40
Fortification Creek Colorado Fair 1939 87 1,991
Williams Fork River Colorado Fair 1939 87 28
DRAW Colorado Poor 1939 87 420
DRAW Colorado Fair 1939 87 180
BESSEMER DITCH Colorado Fair 1939 87 679
N. FORK SO. PLATTE RIV Colorado Fair 1940 86 10
ALLISON DITCH Colorado Fair 1940 86 138
EAST MANCOS RIVER Colorado Poor 1940 86 439
MONTROSE AND DELTA CANAL Colorado Fair 1940 86 866
MONTROSE AND DELTA CANAL Colorado Good 1940 86 466
RIO BLANCO RIVER Colorado Fair 1940 86 36
BEAR CREEK Colorado Fair 1940 86 53
NORTH FORK SAND ARROYO Colorado Fair 1940 86 13
HORSE CREEK Colorado Fair 1940 86 4
UNNAMED CREEK Colorado Fair 1940 86 25
BRANTNER DITCH Colorado Fair 1940 86 10,583
FT. LYON CANAL Colorado Fair 1940 86 92
FORT MORGAN CANAL Colorado Fair 1940 86 3,200
UPPR PLATTE BEAVER CANAL Colorado Fair 1940 86 4,300
UTE CREEK Colorado Fair 1940 86 79
BIG SANDY DRAW Colorado Fair 1940 86 44
OBRIAN CANAL Colorado Poor 1940 86 190
MONUMENT CREEK Colorado Poor 1940 86 1,418
PASS CREEK Colorado Fair 1940 86 13
SAND CREEK Colorado Poor 1940 86 40,000
Union Ditch Colorado Fair 1940 86 369
RED SANDSTONE CREEK Colorado Fair 1940 86 16,349
EAGLE RIVER Colorado Poor 1940 86 2,000

About Historic Bridge Data

Bridges built before 1951 are classified as historic in this database. Many were designed to 1940s standards with lower load limits and narrower lanes. While FHWA requires regular inspections of all bridges regardless of age, older structures often require more frequent monitoring and rehabilitation investment.