A worn-out, 40-year old bridge on Road N is in the planning stages for replacement.

The steel bridge over Alkali Canyon has significant corrosion and erosion problems, said Rob Englehart, Montezuma County road supervisor.

“It scores poorly during state inspections, and is at the top of the CDOT list for replacement in this area,” he said.

The county recently secured a $325,000 state and federal transportation grant to conduct planning and designing for a new bridge. The county contributed 20 percent in matching funds.

The design bid was awarded to Bechtolt Engineering, Englehart said. Once surveys, environmental reviews and design plans are completed, additional federal and state transportation grants will be sought for construction.

“If all goes well, construction of a new bridge could begin by 2020,” he said.

Total construction costs have not yet been determined. A concrete bridge is preferred because they last longer and need less maintenance.

Improvements include a wider bridge, new guardrails, and adjusting alignment and surface to improve traffic flow. The bridge is on County Road N, west of U.S. Highway 491 between County Roads 21 and 22.