Design soon will be underway for the first sidewalk construction project to receive money from the newly reauthorized half-cent sales tax.
The city plans to spend about $100,000 to design a 10-foot-wide sidewalk along Roosa Avenue from U.S. Highway 160 to El Paso Street, said Amber Blake, sustainability and transportation director.
The half-cent tax was previously dedicated to parks and recreation projects, but voters agreed last April to include bicycle and pedestrian improvements.
The city is accepting bids to design the project, Blake said. The construction schedule has not been set.
Residents have asked for the sidewalk to address safety concerns, and the sidewalk, which will be 4,380 feet long, will help separate pedestrians and bicycles from traffic.
“There is a lot of pedestrian traffic along Roosa Avenue,” she said.
Pedestrians and cyclists use the avenue for access to Manna Soup Kitchen, the Animas River Trail and homes along Avenida del Sol.
There is not enough room to include bike lanes along Roosa Avenue, she said.
The city might install a flashing sign that would stop traffic for pedestrians at the intersection of Roosa Avenue and Avenida del Sol.
It could be similar to signs at Seventh Street and Camino del Rio, near the Commons Building.
However, the city may not include the sign, depending on the feedback from the community agencies such as the Durango Fire Protection District and neighbors, Blake said.
The Colorado Department of Transportation will review the project because the new sidewalk will start at U.S. Highway 160, she said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
