The city of Durango is revisiting the idea of an underpass to allow pedestrians and bicyclists to cross Camino del Rio safely and to connect the River Trail to downtown. That is welcome news, if overdue.
There are difficulties, of course, but the city cannot go forward with things as they are. As it is, Camino del Rio – which one local has dubbed Camino del Muerto – presents a fixed and permanent barrier to the city’s future.
Without such an underpass, the area between Camino del Rio and the river will never be developed to its full potential. That would deprive Durango of possible future amenities that could increase the city’s cultural and entertainment offerings and boost the local economy. The existing Powerhouse Science Center and the proposed STEAM Park are just two examples of what could be. An underpass would also offer residents and visitors alike greater safety, convenience and access both to the river and downtown.
(An underpass could also be dedicated to the late Paul Wilbert, who long advocated such an improvement.)
The most logical place for an underpass would be at the intersection of 12th Street and Camino. The land on the west side of Camino is lower, so an underpass could be constructed as one long, gentle slope, without stairs or complex ramps.
The city looked at this before. In 2008 and 2009, consultants found the 12th Street location posed problems, both with radioactive tailings thought to be under Camino del Rio and the likely need to relocate River City Hall.
But it will not be easier or cheaper down the road. And the city has money. The half-cent sales tax approved by the voters in 1999 to build the Rec Center and the River Trail was set to expire in 2019. Last year, city voters extended it until 2039. The list of projects identified by the city for using the continuing tax included $3 million for a Camino underpass.
Rather than rehashing potential problems involved in building an underpass, city officials should now focus on its design and construction. Durango’s future is tied to it.
