FASTER Funds Safety Improvements on US 160
ALAMOSA COUNTY – The Colorado Department of Transportation and contractor APC Southern Construction Company will resume work on April 8 on the project to construct passing lanes on US 160 between Monte Vista and Alamosa. This highway safety improvement project, contracted for $5.8 million, is funded in part with Colorado FASTER* funds.
The project is located between mileposts 222 and 226—from the Monte Vista/Alamosa County line east to Alamosa CR 103. Work consists of widening the current two-lane roadway to a four-lane roadway (two lanes each direction), with 12-foot lanes, 10-foot shoulders and a 16-foot median. Construction is anticipated to be complete by mid-September.
The project began July 30, 2012, and work was suspended for the winter in early November. To date about 25 percent of the work has been completed (including clearing of vegetation, some earth work for new lane construction and erosion control). Remaining work items this season include final earthwork in preparation for widening; a full-depth reclamation of the existing roadway (essentially taking the roadway down to a dirt surface and resurfacing); placing asphalt on existing and newly widened surfaces; applying a top mat of asphalt and completing final striping and signing.
“We are pleased to have FASTER safety funding to build this project that will enable safer passing opportunities,” CDOT Region 5 Transportation Director Kerrie Neet said. “Motorists and cyclists will also benefit from wider shoulders and a much smoother roadway.”
TRAFFIC IMPACTS: Work hours throughout the project will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday and some Fridays, from 7:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. The speed limit is reduced to 45 mph during these hours, so motorists should allow for travel delays up to 10 minutes. There are no wide load restrictions. All business and residence access will be maintained, but may be temporarily altered. Motorists should be advised that there are no wide load restrictions. Thanks for going Slow for the Cone Zone!
CONTACT INFORMATION: The public may get project information by calling (719) 849-0678 or by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. To help motorists plan their travel, CDOT offers an e-mail and text message service that provides updates on road conditions, construction projects and other CDOT news. Signing up to receive updates is easy and free (standard text messaging rates apply). Visit CDOT’s website at www.coloradodot.info and click on the green cell phone icon in upper right corner entitled “Sign up for Email and Wireless Alerts.” Travelers can also call 511 from anywhere in the state, or log onto http://www.coloradodot.info/projects/active-construction-projects to view CDOT’s lane closure reports and statewide construction map.
*FASTER (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 of Colorado’s structurally deficient bridges and make safety improvements to Colorado’s key corridors.
