COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. — Summit County Open Space Senior Resource Specialist Jason Lederer already oversees 30 miles of recreational paths, and soon he'll add another 21 miles to the list.
This path will be between Copper Mountain and Leadville, and include a 200-foot pedestrian bridge across the highway.
"What this bridge will do is help people access back and forth across the highway without having to cross those lanes of traffic,” Lederer said. “They can take this bridge across and get on those widened shoulders."
Building this bridge means that Highway 91 will be shut down on Oct. 26 from 7 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. just south of Copper Mountain. A detour will be in place from Leadville to Minturn along U.S. 24 and Interstate 70, adding 36 miles and about 40 minutes of extra travel time while the work is happening.
The new bridge and path are part of the Fremont Pass Recreational Pathway Project, which will connect Summit and Lake counties and make biking or hiking in the area safer.
"This new pathway will open options for people less comfortable with riding on a busy highway," Lederer said. "It will open opportunities for walking or running or Nordic training."
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