You now have a shot at getting your own historic bridge—for free. But there’s a slight catch. You have to disassemble it, move it and reassemble it yourself.

The Colorado Dept. of Transportation is offering the National Register-listed Dotsero Bridge over the Colorado River for adoption.

Any person or organization willing to relocate the structure may “adopt” it, as plans are under way to replace it later this year.
Constructed in 1935, the green Dotsero Bridge is located on the I-70 frontage road in Dotsero. It is one of just a few metal truss bridges on Colorado’s highway system that is still intact; more specifically, it is a steel, rigid-connected Parker through-truss that is 150 ft long, 33 ft wide, and has a vertical clearance of 13 ft, 2 in.

The bridge is historically significant for its contribution to transportation on U.S. Highway 6 across western Colorado and because it is an excellent example of a standard Colorado State Highway Department truss design. The bridge may be a good candidate for re-use as a pedestrian or recreational trail bridge.

But, given the age of the bridge, its paint does contain lead and possibly other constituents that require careful removal and containment. The containment and disposal of the paint during the dismantling process may be an additional cost for the recipient. 
Preference will be given to plans that agree to maintain the bridge in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings.

Potential recipients must submit a written relocation plan detailing the proposed use and new location of the bridge as well as resources available to assure future maintenance.

Potential recipients should also state their intent to follow all environmental regulations concerning the treatment of lead-based paint on the structural steel components. CDOT may contribute funding up to the amount anticipated for disposal of the bridge.


If you are interested in adopting this bridge and would like more information about CDOT’s Adopt-a-Bridge program, please contact CDOT Senior Staff Historian Lisa Schoch at 303-512-4258 or lisa.schoch@dot.state.co.us.