Colo. 7 repairs set to begin this fall
CDOT seeks resident input
Colo. 7 from Lyons to Colo. 72 will be closed starting next month and remain closed until Memorial Day 2022, with traffic allowed to pass during rush hours, while crews complete the state’s final permanent repair project from the 2013 flood.
As it prepares to begin the $55 million project, the department is asking residents for feedback that will help determine closure schedules for portions of the project.
The Colorado Department of Transportation is encouraging residents to attend an Aug. 3 virtual meeting, which will include discussions about intermittent closures to parts of the highway the full closure expected in the central part of the construction area. The open informational Zoom meeting will start at 6 p.m. and will allow residents to submit questions and give feedback regarding the project and closures.
According to CDOT spokesperson Jared Fiel, motorists travand eling west of Lyons will see daily intermittent closures — at times to be determined after the Aug. 3 meeting — between mile markers 33 and 29.5 on the eastern side and between mile markers 23 and 19 on the western side of the affected portion of highway.
A full closure of Colo. 7 in the middle of the affected portion of highway, between mile markers 29.5 and 23, will be daily from September through May 30,
2022, which is Memorial Day. The middle portion will be opened twice daily to allow rush hour traffic, traveling to and from school or work, from 6 to 8 a.m. and again from 4 to 7 p.m.
“During these timeframes, pilot cars will lead alternating one-way travel,” Fiel said. “Drivers should plan for delays and emergency responder access will be maintained at all times.”
There will also be single lane closures and intermittent delays to finalize restoration along the highway through fall 2022.
Fiel said motorists will begin seeing workers and equipment along the highway in mid- to late August.
“However, the heavier work that will cause closures will start in September, and we will notify residents two weeks prior to the first closure starting,” he said.
“The Aug. 3 project team virtual public meeting will provide a project update, which will include an explanation of the scope of the recover y project, schedule and agenda items regarding closures,” Fiel said.
The South St. Vrain Canyon sustained significant damage during the 2013 flood. According to CDOT, nine miles of roadway was severely damaged or lost entirely, with debris flows that prevented access for nearly 2K months.
“An emergency repair project reestablished traffic and operations quickly but did not complete repairs to final grades or restore the highway to appropriate transportation safety standards,” CDOT wrote in a news release.
The Colo. 7 project was originally scheduled to begin in late 2019, but was delayed.
“What’s really important is the goal of this project helps ensure that residents can maintain access during future flood events, with safer multimodal transportation options that work in harmony with the ecological river functions down this section of corridor,” Fiel said.
The permanent repair project is estimated to cost between $55 million and $60 million. It will:
•Resurface and repair approximately 14 miles of roadway. rehabilitate several miles of South St. Vrain Creek that were disturbed during the emergency repairs.improve multimodal mobility options along the corridor.build in resiliency to improve future emergency access during floods.
Registration for the upcoming meeting is open to all residents but is required. Residents can register at bit.ly/ CDOTCO7.
“After residents register, they will receive a confirmation email containing all the information they will need to join the webinar,” Fiel explained. “However, if they accidently delete it, lose it or otherwise cannot find it, they can visit the CDOT website where all that information will be listed the week prior to the meeting.”
The meeting will be recorded and will be available later on the CDOT website.
Fiel said this final project is being fully funded by several federal emergency relief grants, including funds already provided by FEMA and the county.