An inspection of the Castle Creek Bridge by the Colorado Department of Transportation found no vehicle weight restrictions were necessary to keep the bridge operating safely, according to a long-awaited report released Friday.

CDOT rated the bridge “satisfactory” after conducting a routine inspection of the bridge on Sept. 25. CDOT inspects the bridge every two years. The report released Friday detailed signs of damage, cracks, deterioration, section loss and leaks, tilting, collision damage, corrosion and scouring – the term used when fast-moving water around a bridge removes sediment from around the bridge foundation and holes This could jeopardize the integrity of the bridge, the report said. Despite these findings, it still remains safe, CDOT said.

“This nearly 64-year-old bridge (built in 1961) has received routine maintenance and mechanical repairs throughout its life and remains a safe transportation facility,” CDOT wrote in a letter to the Aspen City Council.

The bridge’s deck was rated as moderate due to isolated moderate cracks, some of which have rust spots. The area with the cracks represents about 8% of the deck area, according to CDOT.

The bridge’s superstructure or girders were also rated as fair, as the steel was moderately corroded in some areas and 53 of the 7,776 tack welds were partially cracked. According to the report, less than 10% of steel exhibits moderate corrosion that does not affect overall strength.

The substructure – pillars and abutments – was rated as “good” due to moderate defects, consisting of cracks, loosening concrete layers and splinters.

Despite the reported deterioration, the bridge did not fall into a lower rating category, which could have required weight restrictions and more frequent repairs. A CDOT inspection in 2022 also evaluated the bridge fair.

Bridges rated as moderate may require preservation treatments such as crack sealing, deck repair, or painting to ensure the longevity of the structure, but are safe for public use without repairs.

While the city waited for the inspection report, originally scheduled to be released in November, it began increased efforts to conduct a new environmental impact study to evaluate alternative access options to Aspen. The city is in the process of surveying registered voters to gauge public opinion on the project to help drive decision-making.

The city is extending the deadline for its Entrance to Aspen Project survey after the City Council asked voters more time to receive mailings and complete the survey.

Aspen sent postcards to registered voters in late November that included a link to a city council-initiated survey about entering Aspen

The council hired Probolsky Research to conduct the survey. Probolsky wanted to collect about 300 responses to obtain a statistically significant data set. The city’s senior project manager, Jenn Ooton, told the city council Tuesday that it has already received over 300 responses and plans to complete the survey on Wednesday.

However, the council asked the city to expand the survey after hearing from voters who wanted to participate but had not yet had the opportunity.

“I would encourage us not to close the survey even though you already have statistically significant or relevant numbers,” Councilman Bill Guth said during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “I personally received the letter but was out of town for the holidays. I would like to participate and I think there are probably a lot of other people who share this opinion… I would rather see 1,000 replies than 300, even if they say the same thing.”

The City Council directed Probolsky in November to survey registered voters in the city. Registered voters would have received a postcard with a link to the survey via mail, text message, phone call or email. Some may not have received a postcard because last week’s storm delayed mail delivery. Some residents may not have received notification of the poll because they are not registered to vote in Aspen.

When the City Council directed its staff in September to conduct a survey on Aspen’s entrance, it was originally with the idea that the city would place a question on the March ballot about the use of bus lanes over the Marolt and Thomas open spaces. But when two citizen petitions aimed at asking voters about access in Aspen surfaced in March, and as the city began tackling a new environmental impact statement on access alternatives, some council members seemed to back away from asking a question to the March vote.

The city initially faced an accelerated timeline for conducting the survey because it wanted to get the results to the City Council in time for it to potentially set language for a ballot question in March.

“We have two citizen-initiated petitions that are about yes and no versions of the question, if you will. So for me, I have no plans to put another question on the ballot,” said Mayor Torre. “I don’t think anything in the poll would lead me to say that this is a question that needs to be asked to voters in addition to the two questions that were asked.”

The survey will remain open until the end of the day on December 12th. The city encourages registered voters who did not participate to check their email, mail or phone messages for a personalized survey link or code.