22 Road Realignment and I-70 Diverging Diamond Interchange

January 10, 2013 - PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE JANUARY 15 - GRAND JUNCTION, CO January 10, 2013 —The City of Grand Junction and the Colorado Department of Transportation are partnering on projects to improve safety and traffic flow on US 6 at 22 Road, and to design and build a Diverging Diamond Interchange at Exit 26 on Interstate 70.

An Open House will be held on Tuesday, January 15, 2013, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Westgate Inn, 2210 US Highway 6 and 50 in Grand Junction, to present plans for these two upcoming construction projects.

CDOT and the City are working together on the timing of the improvements, which will accommodate growth and increased traffic from current and future commercial and industrial development around 22 Road, as outlined in the City’s Comprehensive Plan. Two companies are currently applying through the City’s development process for separate truck stops in the area, one north and one south of US 6 at 22 Road.

City of Grand Junction – 22 Road Improvements, March 2013 through August 2013: The City will realign the 22 Road and US 6 intersection, moving it 500 feet west. This lengthens the intersection spacing with the I-70 interchange ramps, which will improve traffic efficiency and safety. A new connecting street will link Valley Court to 22 Road. Traffic will be able to access US 6 via the signalized intersection at 22 Road, eliminating the need for left turns out of Valley Court and improving safety.

Colorado Department of Transportation – I-70 Diverging Diamond Interchange, June 2013 through November 2013: The City will design and CDOT will construct a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) at I-70 Exit 26. A DDI eliminates traditional left-hand turns by crossing lanes and shifting drivers to the left side of the road. This gives drivers direct access to a left-hand ramp to access the interstate without waiting at a traffic signal. The lanes then shift drivers back to the right side.

Diverging Diamond Interchanges can carry much more traffic than conventional diamond interchanges, and the capacity for left-turn movements is twice that of a conventional diamond. Safety has been shown to increase at interchanges and intersections built as diverging diamonds. The amount of crashes is reduced, as are the severity of crashes. The accidents that do occur are at angles that eliminate the dangerous “T-bone” that can happen at a traditional signalized intersection.

DDI cost is much lower as well. The I-70 DDI at is estimated to cost $4 million,* whereas other alternatives are between $10 and $15 million. Also, minimal right-of-way acquisition is required for this type of intersection.

Additional information on these two projects is available at the following websites:

City of Grand Junction at www.gjcity.org under Public Works, Engineering, or http://bit.ly/UEiKlp

Or the Colorado Department of Transportation at http://www.coloradodot.info/projects/i70exit26grandjunctionddi or http://bit.ly/ZzgUY1

*CDOT’s DDI will be paid for, in part, with FASTER funds. Funding Advancements for Surface Treatment and Economic Recovery was established by the Colorado General assembly via Senate Bill 09-108 (www.coloradodot.info/projects/faster) to fund the repair or replacement of Colorado’s poor-rated bridges and make safety improvements to Colorado’s key corridors.