HIGHWAY 85 RECOVERY PROJECT BEGINS NEXT WEEK

         DOUGLAS COUNTY – Another project funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is scheduled to start on Monday, September 21 – a concrete reconstruction of U.S. 85 between Titan Road and Cook Ranch (mile 195.4 - 196.5).

        The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) project involves widening approximately one mile of U.S. 85 from two to four lanes, construction of a raised median, and drainage and erosion control improvements.  Work also includes asphalt paving three other segments of U.S. 85 – between Highlands Ranch Parkway and C-470, and two sections in the Louviers area, south of Cook Ranch.

        Initial project hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday and 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday through Thursday.  During the day, occasional traffic stops will take place for truck hauling operations, with only minor delays.   Traffic stops up to 10 minutes are planned during night hours.  A 45 mph speed limit will be in effect at all times.

Lawson Construction Co., of Longmont, CO. is the contractor for the $6.7 million project, of which $5.4 million is being funded by the Recovery Act.  Construction is scheduled for completion in July 2010.

“The completion of the Environmental Impact Statement in 2002 demonstrated that improvements to Highway 85 were vital for the future traffic requirements of metropolitan Denver,” says CDOT Regional Transportation Director Tony DeVito.  “Recovery Act funding is allowing us to construct a segment of the planned corridor improvements.  Without that financial support, we couldn’t have built this important project for the foreseeable future.”

        Weekly lane closure information about this project and others will be available at www.dot.state.co.us/TravelInfo/currentcond/ or by calling 511. 

In all, Colorado will receive more than $400 million for transportation projects and $103 million for transit projects.  For more information about how Colorado is putting the Recovery Act to work, visit www.colorado.gov/recovery.