North College Drive will be split down the middle beginning Monday as crews resume stormwater infrastructure replacements delayed over the winter.
The work will impact traffic, requiring a single alternating travel lane monitored by flaggers, said Laura Rieck, spokeswoman for Durango Public Works.
Construction crews will mobilize Monday, stage equipment and set up stormwater controls Tuesday, with work starting thereafter. Rieck said construction will begin after 8 a.m. on weekdays to allow motorists time for their morning commutes.
A stormwater pipe requiring replacement lies directly beneath North College Drive, and crews will excavate the road to access it, she said. A sanitary sewer line also needs replacement and repairs. Crews will try to work on both systems simultaneously but may need to address them one at a time.
Construction will began at Richard Drive, near the hilltop above the intersection of Florida Road and North College Drive, and move uphill just past Aquarius Place, she said.
After underground work is completed, focus will shift to traffic-calming features along North College Drive. Rieck said those include new curbs, gutters and sidewalks, curb bulb-outs to reduce the pedestrian crossing distances, and full repaving of the road.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of fall.
The reconstruction of North College Drive, a major arterial linking northeast and southeast Durango, is a $5.4 million project, according to the city.
The work coincides with the reconstruction of county roads 250 and 251. All-way stop signs have been installed at Holly Avenue and Florida Road to help manage traffic, and signage along Florida Road alerts drivers to construction and detour routes.
cbureny@durangoherald.com
