What would you prefer?: Aspen to poll voters on Castle Creek Bridge options

After contentious discussion over what’s next for Castle Creek Bridge, Aspen’s lone bridge into town more than 12 years past its expected lifespan, City Council on Tuesday approved seeking an environmental impact study through the National Environmental Policy Act before proceeding with further steps.

In a 3-2 vote, with council members Sam Rose and Bill Guth opposing, the city also decided it will hire outside expertise to poll voters before developing any spring election ballot language over Castle Creek Bridge options. The decision comes just a week after Aspen leaders decided not to create a Castle Creek Bridge ballot question for the November election.

“It’s premature to have staff start writing a ballot language until we have results from NEPA and from polling,” Councilmember Ward Hauenstein said.

There are three plans developed by Jacobs Engineering to fix the aging Castle Creek Bridge, which has one lane going into town and one coming out. This includes simply replacing the bridge, or two other plans that include building a secondary bridge over Castle Creek, which would go over the Marolt Open Space.

Building a secondary bridge with a tunnel at Marolt Open Space is referred to as the 1998 preferred alternative, which has been approved by the Colorado Department of Transportation, Snowmass Town Council, Pitkin County Commission and the voters themselves.

Originally, City Council wanted to ask voters in November whether to authorize the Colorado Department of Transportation to proceed with the 1998 preferred alternative. A vote that is optional and not required to move forward, according to Colorado Department of Transportation.

The 1998 record of decision does have a current easement in place over the Marolt Open Space in the original preferred alternative to be completed. This includes a new, second bridge across Castle Creek. 

An approved supplemental environmental impact statement, which the city was able to obtain, allows Aspen to amend the 1998 record of decision preferred alternative. According to the Jacobs Engineering report, it will take time to do this and nothing is guaranteed, leaving the bridge in limbo while this is discussed, which can take years moving forward.

The Transportation Department also previously noted that no additional environmental review would be necessary if the city proceeds with the existing plan, provided that the bridge is rebuilt as a two-lane structure. The environmental review process, if continued, could take up to two years, with no guarantee that it would result in a different outcome.

The city is unable to repair Castle Creek Bridge on its own without beginning construction on the preferred alternative, according to the Transportation Department.

“We need a second bridge, and that’s what I think we should be studying,” Councilmember John Doyle said.