Surface Improvement Project Begins on Highway 96

In addition to asphalt paving, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) project includes a full-depth (12 inches) reclamation, which consists of recycling the old asphalt and using it as the new road base.  Other improvements include new seeding, mulching and erosion control.

The project begins in Sheridan Lake and proceeds east six miles.  Flaggers are alternating eastbound and westbound traffic through a two-mile work zone from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.   Delays up to 15 minutes should be expected. The speed limit is reduced to 40 mph and vehicles wider than 12 feet are not allowed to travel through the area during project hours.

“New asphalt will provide the traveling public with a smoother road surface that’ll last at least ten years,” says CDOT Project Engineer Terry Woodward.  “Highway users also are benefiting in other ways since the full-depth reclamation creates a new stabilized base that is stronger and lower maintenance.  And, recycling reduces the project cost by about 25 percent.”

The $2.6 million project, contracted to Lafarge North America Inc. of Fort Collins, CO. is scheduled for completion in December 2011.

Traffic information about this or other CDOT projects is on the cotrip.org website, by calling 511 or via subscription e-mail.  To subscribe, please visit www.coloradodot.info and click on the cell-phone icon in the upper right-hand corner.  The link takes you to a list of items you can subscribe to, including Southeast Colorado (Everything East of I-25 and South of I-70).