CDOT Hosts Public Meeting
CONEJOS COUNTY – The Colorado Department of Transportation will host a public meeting to provide details of the upcoming improvements to US 285 in Antonito. The meeting will be held this Thursdayevening, January 30, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Antonito Town Hall on 307 Main.
The project, budgeted for approximately $7 million, represents a partnership between CDOT and the Town of Antonito. Through Responsible Acceleration of Maintenance and Partnerships (RAMP*), CDOT will complete concrete reconstruction from 2nd to 12th streets to address subgrade and roadway surface damage where heavy truck traffic exits; north of 8th Street these improvements will include sidewalk improvements and partnering with the Town of Antonito on storm/sewer drainage upgrades.
The work will improve the roadway surface through town, extending its life 30-plus years.
Updated information on active CDOT projects is available at www.dot.state.co.us/TravelInfo/currentcond/or by calling 511. To receive project updates via wireless device or e-mail, visit www.coloradodot.infoand click on the green cell-phone icon in the upper right-hand corner. The link takes you to a list of items you can subscribe to, including Southwest Colorado.
* The RAMP program was created in December 2012 as a new approach to budgeting and planning to accelerate the completion of transportation projects. Under RAMP, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will fund multi-year projects based on year of expenditure, rather than saving for the full amount of a project before construction begins. This will match project expenditures with available revenues and allow CDOT to fund additional transportation projects over the next five years. RAMP includes some 44 partnership projects totaling $580 million to maximize and expand the statewide transportation system.
The RAMP program has also identified $66 million in operations projects throughout the state. Combined with an additional $800 million dedicated to statewide asset management projects to maintain the system, RAMP will result in approximately $300 million per year increase in project construction for five years, an increase of 50 percent. RAMP’s impact is significant for the state’s economy, as every $1.5 million spent on transportation projects sustains or creates 10.55 jobs.
