Traffic flow on a one-way road that often throws tourists and newcomers for a loop on East Second Avenue in downtown Durango is about to undergo changes in preparation for two new hotels.
The city approved the development of a Hampton Inn and Suites hotel and an AC Hotel by Marriott between Fourth and Fifth streets in 2014. The inns, across from Gazpacho Restaurant, are planned to have about 200 rooms combined, and guests are expected to park in a garage accessed off Fifth Street.
Demolition of existing structures started earlier this month on the site, and excavation to bury electrical lines in the alley between East Second Avenue and East Third Avenue is expected to start Monday.
As part of the development approval, Lamont Companies is required to turn East Second Avenue from a one-way northbound street into a two-way street between Fifth Street and College Drive to provide better access to and from the new hotels. The change will also accommodate the traffic related to hotel construction.
The new traffic signal at East Second Avenue and College Drive will be reconfigured by the developers to accommodate the change.
Travelers are encouraged to use caution in the construction zone. The striping and signal improvements are expected to start Monday and be completed by the end of September.
Improvements for this project include:
Restriping of East Second Avenue between Fifth Street and College Drive.Restriping of the city’s on-street parking spaces along the west side of East Second Avenue from diagonal parking to parallel parking and reinstallation of the city’s parking meters. Installation of new stop signs at the intersection of East Second Avenue and Fifth Street.For more information on the Downtown Hotel Project, visit www.durangogov.org/devupdates.
