Construction began last week on the College and Eighth Road Diet safety project, which aims to reduce College Drive from four lanes to three lanes, add improved pedestrian crossings and transit stop pullouts and other features.
The project is focused on College Drive from East Third Avenue to East Eighth Avenue and East Eighth Avenue from College Drive to East Second Street.
As of Tuesday, part of the eastbound right hand travel lane on College Drive was closed off by traffic cones.
The city said in an Orange Cone Report, a brief about construction projects occurring within city limits, that construction is scheduled to take place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and motorists can expect up to five-minute delays.
The project will consist of the construction of new and improved sidewalks, ramps and traffic signals this year, with paving to follow in 2026. Buffered bike lanes, curb ramps and trees are planned for the project.
Durango Multimodal Manager Devin King told The Durango Herald in March the project will make College Drive and East Eighth Avenue safer and more accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.
“Road diet” refers to the removal of one lane. According to the city, doing so accommodates alternative modes of travel such as bike lanes and pedestrian crossings, and improves the flow of traffic.
When the project is completed, College Drive will consist of three traffic lanes: one eastbound lane, one westbound lane and one center left hand turn lane.
The Engage Durango page for the project said College Drive has an average daily traffic of 10,558 vehicles and East Eighth Avenue has 13,629 vehicles daily on average, and road dieting is an effective strategy for improving traffic flow and safety for twice those amounts.
Construction was initially planned to begin this spring, however long lead times for traffic signal components and funding challenges delayed the start, Laura Rieck, Public Works spokeswoman, said at a City Council study session in July.
The project is projected to cost $5 million and is using a $12 million Highway Safety Improvement Program grant; a Colorado Department of Transportation grant for $300,000; another CDOT grant for $75,000; and the city is matching $1 million.
cburney@durangoherald.com
