The long-awaited Escalante Drive extension between Walmart and Home Depot could be finished by late spring, but a developer will determine when the road opens to the public.
NE Construction, a Texas-based company, is building the road that will serve the development company’s new 194-unit apartment complex.
The company is also installing a trail underpass beneath the new road that will be part of a connection from the Animas River Trail to the SMART 160 Trail, that will eventually connect to Three Springs.
The road and the underpass could be completed by late spring, City Engineer Gregg Boysen said in an email.
“If we don’t receive any significant moisture, I would assume the roadway and trail construction will continue as long as possible,” Boysen said.
The first third of the northern end of the road is largely complete and will provide access to the new Goodwill store when it opens early next year, he said.
Last week, excavation was finished for the concrete boxes that will form the underpass. Precast concrete box sections are expected to arrive after New Year’s Day, Boysen said. The city expects to spend $1.3 million on the lit underpass, including ramps and retaining walls.
Once complete, the full length of Escalante Drive may not be open for people to drive between Walmart and Home Depot.
At first, it may only serve the construction traffic associated with the new Rocket Apartments, Boysen said.
The road must be finished before anyone can move into the new apartments.
“Whether the roadway will be open to the public will be the developer of the Rocket Apartment’s decision. He may want the roadway looking brand new for the opening of the apartments,” Boysen said.
Properties on the east side of Escalante Drive are served by a frontage road that will close after Escalante Drive opens to the public.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
