CDOT Reopens Highway 7
BOULDER/LARIMER/JEFFERSON COUNTIES – With the reopening of State Highway 7 between Lyons and Raymond today, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has repaired and reopened all of the state highways between the Front Range and the mountains that were damaged during the September floods.
However, CDOT is temporarily restricting bicyclists from riding the following, recently repaired highways, to maintain safety for riders and motorists alike:
- State Highway 119 between Boulder and Nederland
- U.S. 36 between Lyons and Estes Park
- U.S. 34 between the Dam Store (west of Loveland) and Estes Park
- State Highway 7 between Lyons and Raymond
- State Highway 72 between State Highway 93 and State Highway 119
CDOT will be working over the next two to three weeks to open up at least one of the recently reopened highways to cyclists. It will be based on traffic levels and which highway provides maximum safety for bicyclists and motorists alike.
“I recently toured all of these highways and saw many areas that raised a red flag when it came to cycling safety, including rockfall-prone sections of highway, heavy equipment maneuvering in and out of narrow spaces, soft shoulders, and areas with little or no shoulders,” said CDOT’s Bicycling and Pedestrian Coordinator Betsy Jacobsen. “We’ll continue to collaborate with our engineering and maintenance crews to make sure the safety of cyclists and motorists is maintained through the winter and during next year’s construction season.”
CDOT will continue to update the bicycling community on the status of the recently reopened highways since changes could occur to the roadways since all have temporary repairs in place and will require additional, long-term repairs beginning next spring. Winter weather also could change the status of a roadway due the temporary nature of the road base and surface and changing traffic patterns.
