![]() ![]() Martin-Marietta corporately supports the community in a variety of ways through contributions to the Boys & Girls Club, Pathfinder Park, local food pantries, Pueblo Community College scholarships, the Upper Arkansas Housing Authority, the Arkansas River Whitewater Park, the Rotary Club of Cañon City, the Tallahassee Volunteer Fire Department, and their neighbors at Parkdale.Īs part of the effort to replace the Harvey/Parkdale Bridge, Martin-Marietta also funded publication of a historical brochure detailing the history of the Parkdale Bridge and early travel along the Arkansas River. By the way, Rock and Rail’s partnership with the Royal Gorge Route Railroad is the only way RGX is economically viable. The expanded operation will support between $6.2 million and $11.5 million in regional economic output and raise between $181,000 and $333,000 in state and local taxes. Local residents should know that MM’s Parkdale Quarry and the associated Rock & Rail Railroad employ 40 people in Fremont County. Last July, the current Board of Commissioners approved an amendment to Martin-Marietta’s CUP allowing the company to expand the Parkdale Quarry onto BLM lands further away from U.S. Everyone benefitted, particularly Fremont County which has a new, modern Parkdale Bridge. For me, it cemented a working relationship that was among my most valued when I left office five years ago. ![]() It was a prime example of how local government and businesses could work together to solve a problem that absolutely required a solution. That speed limit restriction along with a requirement in the Parkdale Quarry’s Conditional Use Permit that Martin-Marietta make improvements to the concrete bridge abutments allowed the company and Echo Canyon to continue using the old Harvey Bridge until it was replaced. To give credit where credit is due, it was County Attorney Brenda Jackson who suggested a 5 mph speed limit on the approach to the bridge might ease the load stress and satisfy the state bridge engineers. The engineering report basically said when heavy truck traffic approached the bridge at 15-20 miles per hour it would create a wave or rolling motion placing undue stress on the steel bridge. Those weight limits would have prohibited heavy truck traffic and even heavily loaded rafting buses. About 15 years ago, state engineers issued an extremely low safety rating for the Harvey Bridge, which severely reduced weight limits on the old bridge. It was actually Fremont County and the State of Colorado bridge inspectors that began posing problems for Front Range and Martin-Marietta. Those good neighbor efforts continued when Front Range was purchased by Martin-Marietta in 2015 with management continuing under the guidance of Mike Sheahan. When Front Range Aggregates bought Agile Stone out of bankruptcy in 2003, they made it a priority to improve relationships with their neighbors at Parkdale. It eventually cost the city $99,000 to negotiate a new lease for those aerial rights with Agile. Agile wanted to bid on operating the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park and was holding hostage the lease renewal of aerial rights over the railroad tracks for the bridge and aerial tram. Parkdale residents repeatedly complained about noise and dust from the quarry.Īgile Stone also was part owner of the railroad that traveled through the Royal Gorge. Some Parkdale residents, as well as the City of Cañon City, would probably tell you that Agile Stone was not a particularly good neighbor. ![]() History will show that in 1997 the Parkdale Quarry was first developed by a company called Agile Stone. That relationship actually began with Front Range Aggregates. While a county commissioner, it was the Parkdale Quarry and the Harvey Bridge that allowed me to develop a close working relationship with Mike Sheahan and his staff at Martin-Marietta. As the late local historian Carol McNew noted, it was called that because it provided access in the early days to the Harvey Ranch. Through my years as a reporter and a county commissioner, the old steel bridge was better known as the Harvey Bridge. Besides the Martin-Marietta quarry, it also connects to Echo Canyon’s river frontage rafting access. The new bridge now belongs to Fremont County and it primarily serves two property owners. The final cost was never disclosed, but suffice it to say that Martin-Marietta invested more than $2 million to replace the old steel bridge that dated back to around 1910. What is referred to as the historical Parkdale Bridge was replaced with a new and modern two-lane concrete bridge financed totally by the Martin-Marietta Materials Corp., which operates the Parkdale Quarry at that site. One year ago, construction was fully underway to replace an aging steel bridge at Parkdale off of U.S. ![]()
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