Douglas County Commissioners Celebrate New Upper Pearl Hill Bridge

Douglas County Board of Commissioners celebrated the completion of a vital bridge replacement project of the Upper Pearl Hill Bridge following the 2020 Cold Springs Canyon Pearl Hill Fire.

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The Commissioners held a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 27. The bridge was innitially constructed in 1953. In 2019, a load rating assessment determined the 66-year-old bridge required posting for SUVs. In February 2020, the bridge landed on a monthly monitoring schedule following a site evaluation identifying critical out-of-plane rotation of the steel cap beam. Later in July, the fire damaged the bridge's timber back walls.

The new bridge is 10 feet longer and 10 feet wider. It features a 40-foot span and a 34-foot width. Commissioners say the last bridge lasted 70 years, this one should last 100.

“First of all, obviously it takes a lot of people to make a project successful, but I want to go back to the point of those we serve—and that is our citizens who live, work in, and around this area. Mr. Troutman, for example, has farmed this land for four generations. We have many families who live and work here, doing what they need to carve out a living, and you can’t overemphasize the importance of this roadway," said Douglas County Commissioner Chair Marc Straub.

The Board of Commissioners also extend their thanks to local residents and bridge neighbors, Sara and Wade Troutman, William and Diane Douglas, Sharon Hammond, and Norm and Dan Cavadini for their support.