La Plata County and the Colorado Department of Transportation Region 5 are moving forward with an effort to seek funding for a U.S. Highway 160 improvement project, for which construction could begin as early as the first quarter of next year.
The county public works department received approval Tuesday from county commissioners to submit a $25 million grant request to the federal Department of Transportation, in partnership with CDOT, for the U.S. 160 Elmore’s East Safety Improvement Project.
If awarded, the funding would come from the DOT’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program, which has $1.5 billion for local and regional projects up for grabs. The project will cost an estimated $66 million in total, although the exact number has yet to be determined.
“This is a very competitive project, so I believe we have a reasonable chance of getting grant funding,” said CDOT Regional Planning Program Manager Tony Cady in an email to The Durango Herald. “If we are not awarded RAISE grant funds, we will continue to apply for future grants until we are successful and fully fund this Southwest Colorado Transportation Planning Region (TPR) priority project.”
The project will occur in two segments and is intended to “correct significant operational and safety issues identified along U.S. 160,” according to a draft of the grant application included in the county commissioners’ agenda packet.
CDOT officials outlined aspects of the plan for commissioners in November, but funding sources were uncertain at the time.
The first part of the plan is called the “Elmore’s Segment,” and is 30% designed.
CDOT would widen a 2.64-mile segment of Highway 160 from two to four lanes going east from the intersection with Colorado Highway 172, known as Elmore’s Corner. It would also add 4.1 miles of continuous two-way turn lane from the intersection to County Road 223, 10-foot shoulders, wildlife fencing and two wildlife underpasses.
According to the application, there are four wildlife collisions per mile per year along that stretch of road, which is 30% higher than comparable facilities statewide.
Construction on the project could begin in the second quarter of 2024.
The second segment is called the LPCR 225 Roundabout, and would reconfigure the intersection of Highway 160 and County Road 225A.
CDOT would construct a high-speed two-lane roundabout at the intersection, which is currently controlled by only stop signs for travelers along County Road 225A. Between 2015 and 2019, a CDOT study found that four severe crashes and one fatal crash occurred at the intersection. A roundabout is estimated to reduce severe crashes by as much as 79%.
The proposal has been in the works for some time, and construction is tentatively set to begin in summer 2024 as a stand-alone project. However, Cade said that schedule requirements associated with grant funding could speed that up.
Commissioner Matt Salka, who lives in Bayfield, said he strongly supports the entire project.
“Getting to Durango, it can be very dangerous depending on if its sun rising or sun setting,” Salka said from the dais. "... I’m all for this and hopefully we can get the approval of these funds for CDOT.”
rschafir@durangoherald.com
