By: Stacey Kaiser
s.kaiser@krdo.com
Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/staceykaiser/

MANITOU SPRINGS - Big chunks of concrete are falling from a busy bridge in Manitou Springs.  The problem is on the Highway 24 overpass just east of the Manitou Avenue exit.  Crystal Hills Boulevard is the street running under the overpass. 

“The structural integrity of the bridge is really in good shape,” said CDOT Program Engineer Dave Poling.  So drivers on Highway 24 are safe to go on the overpass.  CDOT says those of you who drive on Crystal Hills Boulevard should also have no fear driving under the overpass.  “We've had crews out there over the last couple of days kind of taking off the loose chunks that they could see and kind of sprucing it up a little bit,” said Poling. 

This is a common problem on bridges, especially structures that have been in place for more than 30 years.  “When we salt and sand our bridges it typically ends up on that edge of the bridge and then over time that's the first concrete wear that you begin to see,” said Poling.