Summer Means Highway Construction

1

00:00:00,540 –> 00:00:03,410

Get ready to find an alternative

route from North Main

2

00:00:03,410 –> 00:00:05,470

to College Drive this summer.

3

00:00:05,470 –> 00:00:08,920

New median construction is

expected to impede traffic

4

00:00:08,920 –> 00:00:11,283

from June to December this year.

5

00:00:11,283 –> 00:00:13,410

You’re watching the local news network.

6

00:00:13,410 –> 00:00:16,080

Brought to you by Tafoya

Barrett and Associates

7

00:00:16,080 –> 00:00:17,960

and the Payroll Department.

8

00:00:17,960 –> 00:00:19,960

I’m Wendy Graham Settle.

9

00:00:19,960 –> 00:00:21,960

The Colorado Department of Transportation

10

00:00:21,960 –> 00:00:24,170

will begin a $4 million project

11

00:00:24,170 –> 00:00:26,830

to install new medians from 14th street

12

00:00:26,830 –> 00:00:30,550

to College Drive on Camino

Del Rio this summer.

13

00:00:30,550 –> 00:00:32,560

The reason why we’re

doing it is to improve

14

00:00:32,560 –> 00:00:35,190

crash history.

15

00:00:35,190 –> 00:00:38,320

When we installed the

concrete median down by

16

00:00:38,320 –> 00:00:42,580

the DoubleTree, we reduced

crashes by about 45%.

17

00:00:42,580 –> 00:00:45,042

And, the volume of traffic

has actually increased

18

00:00:45,042 –> 00:00:47,630

by about 10% since then.

19

00:00:47,630 –> 00:00:49,940

The median in the highway

provides some friction,

20

00:00:49,940 –> 00:00:52,020

which tends to cause

people to drive slower.

21

00:00:52,020 –> 00:00:54,440

And then, it also limits

the turning movements

22

00:00:54,440 –> 00:00:56,850

that people can make

on and off the highway.

23

00:00:56,850 –> 00:00:58,560

They’ll still be able

to make left-hand turns

24

00:00:58,560 –> 00:01:01,540

in specific locations, just

not across the entire corridor

25

00:01:01,540 –> 00:01:03,710

the way it’s set up right now.

26

00:01:03,710 –> 00:01:06,530

Traffic flow will be

controlled to one northbound

27

00:01:06,530 –> 00:01:09,480

and southbound lane during construction.

28

00:01:09,480 –> 00:01:11,950

All light signals and pedestrian crossings

29

00:01:11,950 –> 00:01:13,820

also will be upgraded.

30

00:01:13,820 –> 00:01:17,200

However, don’t expect a

new bridge or underpass

31

00:01:17,200 –> 00:01:20,670

at the controversial 12th

Street pedestrian crossing.

32

00:01:20,670 –> 00:01:22,980

Federal safety guidelines

say the street level

33

00:01:22,980 –> 00:01:25,163

crossing is fine for now.

34

00:01:26,070 –> 00:01:28,440

Unfortunately, we cannot install a signal,

35

00:01:28,440 –> 00:01:30,700

like a traditional

traffic signal here yet,

36

00:01:30,700 –> 00:01:33,270

because there’s not enough

traffic on the side street.

37

00:01:33,270 –> 00:01:34,820

It’s not warranted.

38

00:01:34,820 –> 00:01:37,160

We have to follow MUTCD,

39

00:01:37,160 –> 00:01:39,140

which is a federal highways document,

40

00:01:39,140 –> 00:01:40,900

before we can put a signal in.

41

00:01:40,900 –> 00:01:42,150

It has to meet criteria,

42

00:01:42,150 –> 00:01:44,050

and it doesn’t meet that criteria yet.

43

00:01:45,090 –> 00:01:48,400

Camino Del Rio averages

30,000 car trips daily

44

00:01:48,400 –> 00:01:52,250

during winter and about

40,000 car trips in summer.

45

00:01:52,250 –> 00:01:53,760

Constan said that only four

46

00:01:53,760 –> 00:01:55,890

car pedestrian accidents have occurred

47

00:01:55,890 –> 00:01:59,520

at the 12th Street crossing

during the past 10 years.

48

00:01:59,520 –> 00:02:01,810

The same accident rate that has occurred

49

00:02:01,810 –> 00:02:03,480

at Camino Del Rio intersections

50

00:02:03,480 –> 00:02:06,490

with College Drive and Ninth Street.

51

00:02:06,490 –> 00:02:09,690

To follow progress and for

updates on traffic delays,

52

00:02:09,690 –> 00:02:11,920

visit the Colorado

Department of Transportation

53

00:02:11,920 –> 00:02:15,620

website at codot.gov.

54

00:02:15,620 –> 00:02:18,210

Thanks for watching this edition

of the local news network.

55

00:02:18,210 –> 00:02:19,553

I’m Wendy Graham Settle.

Share This Post On