Work Finished on Old Stage Road Re-construction work on Old Stage Road is completed and the road is open to the public fulltime. “El Paso County and Martin Marietta Materials have appreciated the community’s patience during the project,” said Andre Brackin, County Engineer. “We recognize the inconvenience the road closure caused to many people. Our goals are always public safety and expediting the completion of work.” Brackin reminds the public that Old Stage Road is a mountain road. “Even though improvements were made, slow cautious driving is recommended because of the existence of steep grades and blind curves.” “Old Stage Road is an important link in El Paso County taking drivers into the nearby Pikes Peak National Forest. It serves campers, OHV riders, photographers, hikers and sightseers,” said Commissioner Sallie Clark, who represents District 3 which includes the Old Stage Road area. Three and a half miles of Old Stage Road were heavily damaged by flooding during the historic September 2013 rainstorms. El Paso County Public Services crews hauled rock and gravel material for 21 days to restore limited access for about 30 property owners and provide critical emergency access to the area through a locked gate. The County is currently seeking $89,592 reimbursement from FEMA for the initial emergency repair work. Working in collaboration with state and federal agencies, a plan was developed to address the more extensive restoration and flash flood mitigation that was required. In July 2014, Martin Marietta Materials was the winning bidder and work began on a project that included reconstruction of a 50-foot retaining wall and replacement of six undersized metal culverts with larger reinforced concrete structures to prevent future washouts by carrying stormwater under the road surface. Martin Marietta Materials finished the work in late September. The contract for the required reconstruction was “not to exceed” $599,953.50. FEMA funding was expected cover about 75 percent of the cost. El Paso County’s share was about 12.5 percent ($75,000) with the remainder coming from the State of Colorado. The gate, which was installed to provide limited and emergency access, will be open fulltime but will remain in place for use during other emergencies or weather related closures.
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 20:08:58 +0000
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