By that time the bridge was showing its age. Traffic across the bridge grew at an average annual rate of 4.4% during the 1980s. In 1990 the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) released a plan for a new bridge at the site. The twin three-span steel box girder concept did not meet with public approval due to concerns about its aesthetics, environmental impact and effect on other roads of traffic diverted during construction, since its closure would necessitate a long detour on local roads through Woody Creek.