Cortez, CDOT looking at U.S. Highway 160 upgrades

Sunday, Jun 21, 2015 6:42 AM Updated Sunday, Jun. 21, 2015 3:29 PM

In Cortez, crossing U.S. Highway 160 on foot can be a harrowing experience, and the Colorado Department of Transportation and the city of Cortez are looking to make the road safer for pedestrians and drivers.

Residents and business owners are encouraged to attend a kickoff meeting June 24 to discuss an Access Control Plan for U.S. Highway 160 through town.

“We’re going to be looking at the whole corridor, from Patton in the east over by Denny Lake, all the way to Maple to the west,” said Public Works Director Phil Johnson.

Because the composition of the neighborhoods north and south of the highway changes from block to block, the city and CDOT plan three study areas: Maple to Harrison streets; Harrison to Sligo streets; and Sligo to Patton streets.

“In the central business district (Maple to Harrison), we can look at things like pedestrian refuges, medians, softening the downtown area, and adding treatments so cars just aren’t racing past businesses,” he said.

The Harrison-to-Sligo segment would be different, Johnson said.

“You can see how it changes, how the street gets a lot wider,” Johnson said. “It has larger businesses and more open space – we’re looking at it differently than we would downtown.”

With the new Montezuma-Cortez High School on Sligo, improving how pedestrians cross Main Street will be imperative, he said.

“Looking specifically at where the new McDonald’s is on the north and the school is on the south, there’s no safe way for pedestrians to get across there. So we’re looking at all impacts, traffic flow on 160, and how to make it safer and more appealing,” Johnson said.

The open-house style meeting at the Cortez Recreation Center will allow residents to speak with the project team and view project renderings.

Mancos also is developing a highway plan with CDOT and will host its second public meeting June 23.