Grand Ave. Bridge Project Team Highlights 6th & Laurel Evaluation Process

October 9, 2013 - Northwestern Colorado/CDOT Region 3 - Revised Alternative 3A roundabout determined to best meet project criteria and public input.

GLENWOOD SPRINGS – The Grand Avenue Bridge project team has worked with the Glenwood Springs community and other stakeholders since April 2011 to develop alternatives for the 6^th and Laurel intersection. In May 2013, a revised roundabout option was recommended by the Project Working Group (PWG) as the preferred configuration for the Build Alternative in the Environmental Assessment (EA).

Each intersection alternative has been developed and evaluated based on the project criteria developed early in the process with input from stakeholders and the public. Details of the evaluation criteria and the extensive process to reach a preferred configuration for the intersection are highlighted in a comprehensive brief, now posted on the project’s web site (http://www.coloradodot.info/projects/sh82grandavenuebridge).

The brief provides information and graphics on the range of options for the intersection, including numerous variations of three-, four-, and five-legged roundabouts; four and five-legged signalized intersections; a T-intersection off of the new Grand Avenue Bridge to 6^th Street; and many others. Stakeholders submitted ideas that were incorporated into the options that were evaluated against project criteria.

Finally, the brief provides an overview of decision process and how public and stakeholder input influenced it.

Ultimately, the Revised Alternative 3A roundabout was determined to respond to stakeholder concerns and, overall, to be the best of the configurations evaluated. It was presented at the May 30, 2013, Stakeholder Working Group meeting, with the following benefits:

Removes the separate “T” intersection at 6^th Street and W. 6^th Street, simplifying traffic movement.
Creates a longer stretch on 6^th Street for parallel parking and frontage to businesses.
Requires less private property acquisition.
Refines the locations of sidewalks and pedestrian crossings on the north side of roundabout at streets with lower traffic volumes.

Those wanting to receive project updates can sign up via CDOT’s free message system by going to www.coloradodot.info and clicking on green cell phone in the upper right hand side of the page. After signing in, scroll down to “Projects” and choose “SH 82 Aspen to Glenwood.”

The SH 82 Grand Avenue Bridge project is funded through the Colorado Bridge Enterprise, a government-owned business entity within CDOT. The Colorado General assembly created the statewide Bridge Enterprise via Senate Bill 09-108, also known as FASTER (Funding Advancements for Surface Treatment and Economic Recovery www.coloradodot.info/projects/faster).The purpose of the Bridge Enterprise is to complete designated bridge projects that involve the financing, repair, reconstruction and replacement of bridges designated as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, and rated “poor” by CDOT.