ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. -- The closure of the 104th Avenue bridge in Adams County was prompted by a suggestion by federal authorities to shut it down and fix it immediately.

Two weeks ago, a joint inspection of the 104th Avenue bridge in Adams County found it needed immediate repairs.

"Closing the bridge was in the best interest of the public," wrote Nancy Singer, a spokeswoman with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). "In addition to the bridge inspections that CDOT conducts regularly as part of a comprehensive federal bridge inspection program, the Federal Highway Administration (Colorado Division) also joins CDOT in annual reviews of the program. The bridge at 104th Avenue was selected this year to be part of this review."

The bridge was due for another state inspection in December, said CDOT Director of Communications Stacey Stegman.

"This bridge would've been caught next month as part of its regular inspections. And something would've changed then. So we just feel like we're being proactive by closing it now," Stegman said. "At this point in time, we believe the bridge is stable. We just can't say how long it's going to remain stable."

The east-west span over the South Platte River could cost roughly $250,000 to temporarily repair, Stegman said.

But it's also only No. 47 on the 2009 list of the state's 100 worst bridges.

Singer said, many times, those lists could involve bridges that can no longer handle newer, higher traffic flows or bridges that offer a rough ride and are not necessarily in danger of imminent collapse.

"I feel very comfortable that we have a very strong inspection program that catches these things early," Stegman said. "When we have a problematic bridge, we watch it closely to hopefully prevent having to close it or (from) having to do something more serious."