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Home My WebLink About20111306 STATE OF COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Region Four Env 4 . O� Environmental/Planning Section 1420 2n°Street L. I ] Greeley,CO 80631 I' (970)350-2170 Fax(970)350-2203 OErw¢TMEKr Of TRANSPORT AnoN May 9, 2011 Mr. Steve Moreno Clerk and Recorder Weld County Office of Clerk and Recorder 1402 N. 17th Avenue Greeley, CO 80631 SUBJECT: Determination of Eligibility and Effects,CDOT Project FBR0253-218, I-25 Frontage Road Bridge Replacement,Weld County Dear Mr. Moreno: This letter constitutes a request for comment on a Determination of Eligibility and Effects for the project referenced above. The Colorado Department of Transportation(CDOT)plans to replace the Little Thompson River Bridge(Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation [OAHP] Site No. 5WL.2985)at milepost 249.9 on the Interstate 25 service road south of the town of Buda in Weld County. AREA OF POTENTIAL EFFECTS The APE extends one parcel out in all directions from the Little Thompson River Bridge. The topography surrounding this segment of Interstate 25 is either open pasture or has been under agricultural development for many years. The APE measures approximately 4,200-feet from north to south and 5,600-feet at its longest measurement from east to west. Please refer to the enclosed graphic for an illustration of the APE boundary. METHODOLGY AND SURVEY RESULTS In the 2002 Historic Bridge Inventory, 5WL.2985 was determined eligible for listing to the National Register of Historic Places(NRHP)under Criteria A and C. In October 2010,John Hoffecker of Historic Preservation Consultants re-evaluated the bridge's historic significance. Dr. Hoffecker conducted an intensive-level field survey of the project area. Hoffecker also searched the OAHP Compass database for previously recorded historic properties. The Little Thompson River Bridge is the only historic,or potentially, historic feature in the project corridor. ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION Little Thompson River Bridees(5WL.2985): Constructed by the Colorado Department of Highways (CDOH) in 1938,this structure is a good example of a camelback pony truss design built across Colorado from 1920 to 1950. The bridge was a component of a New Deal Public Works Administration(PWA) project during the late 1930s. CDOT has determined that 5WL.2985 is eligible to the NRHP under Criterion A for its association with the development of a major highway between Denver and northern Colorado and under Criterion C as a good surviving example of the once common camelback pony truss. QitsThrvw n , rULw '(t, : Pi , C4 p w 2011-1306 5 - a3 ll 5- ab- Il Mr.Moreno May 9,2011 Page 2 EFFECTS DETERMINATION Little Thompson River Bridge(5WL.2985): On November 19, 2010,the State Historic Preservation Office concurred with our re-evaluation that 5WL.2985 was eligible to the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria A and C. The enclosed plan sheet indicates that CDOT will remove this bridge and replace this NRHP-eligible structure with a new design. This office has determined this action will result in an adverse effect to 5WL.2985. As a local governmental authority with a potential interest in this project, we welcome your comments regarding our determination of eligibility and effects. Should you elect to respond,we request that you do so within 30 days of receipt of this letter. If you have questions or require additional information, please contact CDOT's Region 4 Senior Historian Robert Autobee at(970)350-2204. Ve I ours, Robert Autobee, Senior Historian CDOT-Region 4, Environmental/Planning Enclosures cc: File/CF t a ' - ic. .t it } ` tt �. o , eirtif • / ' .4. 1, • N' ., 1, -�• r 150...,,n •�5' � '` •. s • 'IZ....rte_ r_�_- w �f� _ 0, _ - 4�� l ♦ is - as.. 1 rn a 'Wilk T 1 S VIPL_4', ICE ' ' .•:• _ " • 14 -t i• • A f .71,• ' • f ,.r .mot I , ` 11 4 . - 5 WL.2985 le ,. . k I _ �,► I -- � 1 it. e I > .4, .0- . 3 r r AL / • / J cv 1 ,t, , .44 __I r iI t e. to_ �'_r rX1�lS a` i 3;_ c4�rg rUs_ .1.. :.:€•.:: : -€-- : • : •,' _rose' AREA OF POTENTIAL EFFECTS I-25 Frontage Road Bridge Replacement (CDOT Project Number FBR0253-218) Weld County The APE extends one parcel out in all directions from the Little Thompson River Bridge. The topography surrounding this segment of Interstate 25 is either open pasture or has been under agricultural development for many years. The APE measures approximately 4,200-feet from north to south and 5,600-feet at its longest measurement from east to west. Official eligibility determination (OAHP use only) COLORADO CULTURAL RESOURCE SURVEY Date Initials Form Determined Eligible-NR Bride Inventory Determined Not Eligible-SR-NR Bridge Determined Eligible-SR Determined Not Eligible-SR Need Data Contributes to eligible NR District Noncontributing to eligible NR District I. IDENTIFICATION 1. Resource number: 5WL.2985 2. Temporary resource number: (no temporary number assigned] 3. County: Weld 4. City: [south of Buda] 5. Structure name: Little Thompson River Bridge 6. CDOT Structure Number: C-17-N 7.CDOT Region: Region 4 8. Highway name: Interstate 25 service road 8a. Highway Milepost: 249.9 9. Feature intersected: Little Thompson River 10. Owner name and address: Colorado Department of Transportation, 1420 2°a Street,Greeley,CO 80631 II. GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION 11. P.M. 6`h Township 4 N Range 69 W SW '/4 of NW V4 of section 23 12. UTM reference: Zone 1 3 ; 5 0 1 7 6 5 mE 4 4 6 0 9 5 0 mN 13. USGS quad name: Johnstown Year: 1950/1969 Map scale: 7.5' x 15' Attach photocopy of appropriate map section at 1:24,000 scale. III. Dimensions 14. Main Span Number: I 15.Approach Span number: 0 16. Main Span Length: 100 feet (30.8 meters) 17. Roadway Width: 30 feet (9.2 meters) 18. Total Structure Length: 104 feet (32 meters) Width: 34 feet(10.5 meters) IV.Structural Information 19. Superstructure Type: rigid-connected camelback pony truss 19a. Superstructure Material: steel 20. Substructure Type: abutments 20a. Substructure Material: reinforced concrete 21. Floor/decking material: concrete 22. Other Features(plaques,wing walls,railing,skew,associated buildings, features,objects etc.): wing walls,railings 23. Condition: Excellent_ Good x Fair Poor Resource Number: 5 W L.2985 Temporary Resource Number: [none] Bridge Inventory Form Page 2 V.HISTORICAL INFORMATION 24. Date of Construction:Estimate Actual 1938 25. Designer: Colorado Department of Highways 26. Fabricator: Midwest Steel and Iron Works(Denver) 27. Contractor: Gardner Brothers(Longmont) 28. Construction history(include description and dates of major alterations): The Little Thompson River bridge was constructed in 1938 on the basis of a standard camelback pony truss design used by the Colorado Department of Highways during 1920-1950. The bridge was part of a wider set of improvements on the alternate highway(designated US 87 in 1942)between Loveland and Longmont,and a Public Works Administration Project initiated in 1937. The contract for the construction of the bridge was awarded to Gardner Brothers (Longmont). The steel components of the bridge were produced in Pueblo by Colorado Fuel and Iron, and the truss was fabricated by Midwest Steel and Iron Works (Denver). Gardner Brothers poured the concrete abutments, erected the truss, and then poured the concrete slab deck. No significant modifications have been made to the bridge since the original construction, although the highway setting has been altered with the building of 1-25, which transformed US 87 into a service road. The Colorado Department of Highways iron plates on the end-posts are missing, apparently removed in the recent past. 29. Historic use: transportation,vehicular bridge 30. Present use: transportation,vehicular bridge 31. Original location x Moved Date of move(s): 32. Source of information: U.S. Department of the Interior(2002) VI. HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS 33. Historical background: The distinctive camelback pony truss design is a variation on the truss bridge,which is"composed of structural triangles joined together with pinned or riveted connections" (Historic American Engineering Record 1976: sheet I). The structural members of the truss—struts, posts, or bars—may resist forces by compression or tension, and heavy rigid members can resist both tensile and compressive forces. The arrangement of members varies according to the type of truss. The camelback is a sub-type (Parker) of the Pratt truss design, in which the diagonal members are in compression, while the vertical members are in tension. The Parker sub-type possesses a polygonal top chord (i.e., member that rests on top of the structure) and the camelback truss is a variant of the Parker sub-type that possesses a polygonal top chord comprising five facets (Historic American Engineering Record 1976: sheet 2). The truss bridge is one of the earliest modern bridge designs. In the early 19th century, truss bridges in the United States were typically constructed with wooden and iron members (only the latter used to resist tensile forces). After 1850, many truss bridges were constructed primarily with iron members, and between 1870 and 1940, they became especially common. The camelback design was originally developed in the railroad industry and only later adapted for use on roadways. The design was initially unpopular among many engineers because of a tendency for the members to reverse compressive and tensile forces, but also for aesthetic reasons (U.S. Department of the Interior 2002). The use of heavy rigid connections (rather than pin connections) prevented the structural problems that had discouraged wider use of the camelback design; after 1920, it became more popular with roadway engineers. - Resource Number: 5WL.2985 Temporary Resource Number: [none] Bridge Inventory Form Page 3 The predecessors to the Colorado Department of Highways (CDH) had used the Pratt truss before 1890, and the CDH eventually adopted the camelback design with a pony truss (i.e., no lateral bracing between the top chords) as a standard long-span highway bridge (Historic American Engineering Record, 1976: sheet I). The CDH established three standard lengths for their camelback pony truss: 80 feet, 100 feet, and 120 feet. Between 1920 and 1950, the CDH built several hundred of these bridges around the state(U.S. Department of the Interior 2002). In 1936, the CDH constructed a new alternate highway route north from Denver that bypassed the towns of Longmont and Loveland (later designated US 87). During the following year, as part of a Public Works Administration project, the CDH embarked on a series of improvements to this highway, which included construction of a new bridge over the Little Thompson River. Plans for the bridge were announced in February 1938, and the$120,000 construction contract was awarded in June to a local company(Gardner Brothers). The standard CDH 100-foot camelback pony truss design was selected as appropriate for the size of the river crossing. The bridge was completed by the end of the year. 34. Sources of information: Fraser,Clayton B. (2002)Little Thompson River Bridge, 5WL2985. Historic Bridge Inventory, March 2002. Copy on file at the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation,Colorado Historical Society, Denver,CO. Historic American Engineering Record(1976) Trusses:A Study by the Historic American Engineering Record. HAER-TI-I.National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. U.S. Department of the Interior(2002)Big Thompson River Bridge I!, Larimer County, Colorado. Highway Bridges in Colorado Multiple Property Sheets.Copy on file at the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation,Colorado Historical Society, Denver,CO. VII. SIGNIFICANCE 35. Local landmark designation: Yes No x Date of designation: N/A Designating authority: N/A 36.Technological Significance: Represents work of a master Possesses high artistic values x Represents a type,period or method of construction 37.Historical Significance: Associated with significant persons x Associated with significant events or patterns Contributes to historical district Resource Number: 5WL.2985 Temporary Resource Number: [none] Bridge Inventory Form Page 4 38. Association with National Register Criteria x A. Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad pattern of our history; B. Associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; x C. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type,period,or method of construction,or represents the work of a master,or that possess high artistic values,or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction;or D. Has yielded,or may be likely to yield,information important in history or prehistory. Qualifies under Criteria Considerations A through G(see Manual) Does not meet any of the above National Register criteria 39. Level of significance: National State x Local 40. Area(s)of significance: transportation,engineering 41. Period of significance: 1938— 1969 42. Theme(s): transportation, road-related(vehicular); engineering, roadway bridges 43. Statement of significance: The Little Thompson River bridge meets the requirements for eligibility for the NRHP under criteria A and C, listed in 36 CFR 60. The bridge is eligible under criterion A for its association with the development of a major highway between Denver and northern Colorado that provided an alternative to the more congested road through Longmont and Loveland. The bridge is eligible under criterion C in the area of engineering, as a rare surviving example of the Colorado Department of Highways' 100-foot-long steel, rigid-connected, camelback pony truss, once common in the state. 44. Assessment of historic physical integrity related to significance: The Little Thompson River bridge (5WL.2985) retains integrity of design, materials, location, and setting. The bridge has not been altered significantly since original construction in 1938. VIII. NATIONAL REGISTER ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENT 45. National Register eligibility field assessment: Eligible x Not Eligible_ Need Data 46. Is there National Register district potential? Yes No x Discuss: The area is not suitable for a historic district because the Little Thompson River bridge is an isolated historic property. If there is National Register district potential,is this structure: Contributing Noncontributing 47. If the structure is in existing National Register district, is it: N/A Contributing Noncontributing . Resource Number: 5 W L.2985 Temporary Resource Number: (none] Bridge Inventory Form Page 5 IX. RECORDING INFORMATION 48. Photograph numbers: PA 160082-PA 160100 Digital images filed at: Historic Preservation Consultants. 49. Report title: Determination of Eligibility and Effects,Little Thompson River Bridge Replacement.CDOT Project NO. FBR0253-218. 50. Date(s): October 2010 51. Recorder(s): John F Hoffecker 52. Organization: Historic Preservation Consultants 53. Address: 7876 South Niagara Way,Centennial,CO 80112 54. Phone number(s): 303-220-7647 NOTE: Please attach a sketch map,a photocopy of the USGS quad.map indicating resource location,and photographs. Colorado Historical Society-Office of Archaeology&Historic Preservation 1300 Broadway,Denver,CO 80203 (303)866-3395 Resource Number: 5 WL•2985 Temporary Resource Number: lNonel illi IIIIIIIIIP :0_.1.,i; - i qi 400•00.111:----- "eikkers• 1 limb . .......twat.* a c miliek, • �'��"�� FCtr t eltii, ' • I it 5WL.2985: Little Thompson River bridge, looking northeast. Photographed by J. F. Hoffecker on 19 October 2010. allImp _ s - --.. Ilay. aim an.. • lama 4,..., .,, is: . ---1-- lb/ I se • • _mss' ea *14 F v I. r r+ A-'47 r y t y - - . 14' . • • 'Y 4 I ti 1 A c h 1 tilt I' 5WL.2985: Little Thompson River bridge, looking northwest. Photographed by J. F. Hoffecker on 19 October 2010. Resource Number: 5WL.2985 Temporary Resource Number: [None] rllIllmnuumnqig. \ . k c ..,..y. q Ok, 1 ' riL, k w . - ` -� .. r'N- J t i' 'X�r , ' r Sow 5WL.2985: Little Thompson River bridge, looking northeast. Photo- graphed by J. F. Hoffecker on 19 October 2010. ----------.4.14. ..,_e f I\ li Siiik j ' ""' . I i I 1 • is tor r r ` S 1 �t `� / I 5WL.2985: Little Thompson River bridge and service road, looking southeast. Photographed by J. F. Hoffecker on 19 October 2010. Resource Number: 5WL.2985 Temporary Resource Number: [None} • _ i , calliiiiilliMill. i I f VS yr• • ~• --Air r _"ice` . _ - i . 1 4 "' -, • I ! - 1 ii . ' e- . - . A • r 5WL.2985: 1-beams supporting concrete deck, looking south. Photo- graphed by J. F. Hoffecker on 19 October 2010. i1114\ t .... , a i . ...- • • • .y • 6 i • ♦ . ♦ ♦ ♦ Y ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ • ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ • a • 5WL.2985: rigid-connected steel truss resting on concrete abutment (northwest corner). Photographed by J. F. Hoffecker on 19 October 2010. Resource Number: 5WL.2985 L.2985 Temporary Resource Number: INone]_ !:_, ,, / 77,----- ,\%______________/ . . ______--, ) \---:_---- c) ‘1\.),:-.T.y / --1y /� ■o . N�1. J\\_ i ,V __e:\:,,__001 1.> c r•\li ---------•.__F\N. r 2' _ _______A\ \Ct\tNThx-- 45; ic, _e____ 4 .3 /.. clay, C \,__, ray . . 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