According to a bridge foreman for El Paso County, the "windows" allowed the removal of formwork once they cured, and the bars were put in place to keep people out.

[6][8] The bridge was nominated for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places for its significance in transportation and engineering under Criteria A and C, respectively.

[7] At the time of its nomination in 2002, the Black Squirrel Creek Bridge was one of eight Parker through trusses to survive in use on Colorado's highways.

[6] As part of CDOT's Adopt-A-Bridge program, the agency would have dismantled the bridge and given it to a group willing to take the structure, for such purpose as a pedestrian or bicycle route.

[1][11] A county engineer said of the bridge in 2011 that "we have no use for a structure like that — it's obsolete... All you could do is some type of display, and the cost doesn't seem to justify the benefit.