I-25 to close to replace bridge in BNSF train derailment

DENVER (KDVR) — Interstate 25 will close to replace a bridge damaged in the deadly coal train derailment that closed the interstate for days near Pueblo.

The BNSF Railway freight train crashed on Oct. 15, just north of Pueblo. Preliminary findings show a broken rail caused the derailment, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The derailment collapsed a steel bridge over I-25, killing the 60-year-old California trucker who was traveling beneath it. Mangled rail cars and tons of coal blocked the major north-south route through Colorado, which did not fully reopen until four days later.

Detours for I-25 closure near Pueblo

The I-25 closure is scheduled to start Monday at 7 p.m. and reopen the next day by 6 a.m. Both directions will be closed at mile point 107.38.

Workers plan to replace the bridge, reinstall the guardrails, pave and stripe. Ames Construction is the contractor.

Here are the suggested detour routes, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation:

• Southbound: Drivers in the Colorado Springs area traveling southbound are advised to take Highway 115 toward Penrose and then proceed east on U.S. Highway 50 toward the City of Pueblo.
• Northbound: Motorists traveling northbound are advised to exit I-25 at U.S. 50/Highway 47 and travel to Penrose then north on Highway 115 toward Colorado Springs.

Drivers should expect lane closures and reduced speeds on Highway 115, where a 12-mile construction project is underway. Vehicles over 11 feet wide should find a route besides Highway 115, which has width restrictions in place.