MEEKER | The White River National Forest has a new bridge across the South Fork, made possible by a unique collaboration between the US Air Force Academy, the US Forest Service and Rio Blanco County.
“This is my pride and joy,” said Greg Rosenmerkel, project lead.
Rosenmerkel was a civil engineer with the US Air Force for 25 years. He was serving at Andrews Air Force Base in 2012 when the US Capitol Christmas tree arrived from the Blanco Ranger District to be placed on the lawn of the US Capitol. He left the Air Force shortly after to become an engineer with the White River National Forest.
Rosenmerkel had the idea to have the Forest Service and US Air Force Academy work together for the benefit of the public, while also developing young engineers and leaders: “I got together with one of my old professors from when I was a cadet… We came up with some candidate projects and in 2015, we submitted the design for the first bridge at the Maroon Bells.”
The South Fork project is the fourth bridge to be built on the White River National Forest through this partnership.
Blanco District Ranger Curtis Keetch also thanked the cooperators that made the project possible. Construction nearly stalled after procurement obstacles, but Rio Blanco County’s Road and Bridge department was able to obtain material and keep the project on track.
“It’s more than a bridge — it’s about partnerships and relationships,” said Keetch. “The partnership that Greg has with the Academy started years ago, and the relationship that we have with Rio Blanco County Road and Bridge really came into play here in the end.”
“I look forward to the public using this bridge to access National Forest System lands for years to come,” said Keetch.
“Seeing the impact of our project feels amazing,” said Pierce Okken, one of the 11 cadets on the project. “We get to see families taking their kids to Spring Cave; we get to see the people we are helping to cross this river. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.”
Special to the Herald Times
