Bad Three will cut repair of state's worst bridges

A modern transportation system with well-maintained bridges for our roads and highways is important to our quality of life and economy. Sounds so basic, right?

But Colorado has 128 structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges, and if Amendment 61 and Proposition 101 pass, it will be nearly impossible to repair or replace them any time soon. Here's why.

In 2009, Colorado created the Statewide Bridge Enterprise to finance, repair and maintain our worst bridges. We pay a special fee when we register our vehicles that will generate about $100 million each year to repair or replace these bridges. To speed up the repair of these bridges, the Statewide Bridge Enterprise can issue revenue bonds using the fee revenues to repay the bonds.

Proposition 101 eliminates the bridge fee and with it the money needed to fix these bridges. Amendment 61 prohibits the state and, by extension, the Statewide Bridge Enterprise from any kind of borrowing. It would shut off an accepted and practical funding method for getting these bridges repaired or replaced sooner.

To see how your area is affected, we have produced fact sheets with the bridges and their locations, grouped by region.

Arkansas Valley – Baca, Bent, Crowley, Huerfano, Kiowa, Las Animas, Lincoln, Otero, Prowers and Pueblo counties

Metro Area – Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert and Jefferson counties

Northern Colorado – Larimer, Logan and Weld counties

Northwestern Colorado – Eagle, Garfield, Lake and Routt counties

South Park-Pikes Peak Region – El Paso, Fremont, Park and Teller counties

Southwestern Colorado – Gunnison, La Plata, Ouray, San Juan and San Miguel counties