Work on US 36 between Lyons and Estes Park starting Feb. 17

Larimer County —  On Feb. 17, the Colorado Department of Transportation and Flatiron Constructors will begin work on US 36 near the Lion Gulch trailhead between Lyons and Estes Park. 

Drivers can expect delays with intermittent single lane closures until March 9 when there will be a 30-day closure of US 36 to allow crews to permanently repair the road from the 2013 floods.

Three open house public meetings are planned to inform residents and commuters about the closure:

• Feb. 24, 6-8 p.m. at the Pinewood Springs Fire Station, 61 Kiowa Road.
• Feb. 25, 6-8 p.m. at the Lyons Community Library, 451 4th Ave. 
• Feb. 26, 6-8 p.m. at the Estes Park Town Hall Board Room, 170 MacGregor Ave. 

CDOT and contractor staff will be on-hand at each of the meetings to answer any questions people may have. 

The closure will start at 12:01 a.m. on March 9 until the week of April 7, with crews working around the clock. Detours will need to be used. School buses and emergency responders will be able to get through. The project teams have been talking to these groups for months to plan for this closure. 

“We know this closure is going to inconvenience people,” said Regional Transportation Director for Northeast Colorado for CDOT Heather Paddock. “But when we talked to officials from these communities and spelled out that the other alternative was to have 24/7 one-lane roads that would have lasted four months and backed deep into the tourist season, the choice was unanimous to do the closure and get done as soon as possible.”

Following the closure, there will still be work that needs to happen that will require occasional single-lane closures with delays through February 2021. 

Travel Impacts

Beginning Feb. 17, there will be intermittent single lane closures, speed restrictions to 25 mph and width restrictions of 10 feet from mile point 7.6 to MP 8. Work will take place Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. resulting in a maximum of 15 minute delays. These slight delays will occur from Feb. 17 until February 2021 except during the full closure period. During the full closure, March 9 to the week of April 7 crews will be working 24/7. During this time no vehicles will be allowed through. Detours are Colorado Highway 7 and US 34.

Why This Project is Needed

The purpose of this project is to improve overall safety, reduce future closures and permanently fix the damages caused by the 2013 flood. The 2013 floods were devastating to this region, and this project will help decrease the impact of future floods. This will be accomplished by installing two major drainage structures under US 36. This will return the Little Thompson River back to its original, natural channel. This project will also increase safety for everyone using the roadway by increasing visibility around a blind corner, as well as increasing the size of the shoulder. The increased shoulder will make travel safer for cyclists and motorists, as well as increase space for safe snow removal. This will be accomplished through light blasting of the surrounding walls. This project is also being completed in conjunction with another project to install fiber optic cable for future cell towers in the area. Flatiron Construction will be installing conduit under the road to allow fiber optic to be run through later in the year. This will eventually increase cell coverage and add safety cameras to the corridor. 

Project Contact Information

• Project Phone Line - 720-543-9078
• Project email - [email protected]
• Project website – us36milepost8project.codot.gov 
• Sign up for weekly project updates - Please log onto the project website and fill out the right-side form to “Subscribe to Project Updates.”

Remember: Slow for the Cone Zone

The following tips are to help you stay safe while traveling through maintenance and construction work zones.

• Do not speed in work zones. Obey the posted speed limits.
• Stay Alert! Expect the unexpected.
• Watch for workers. Drive with caution.
• Don't change lanes unnecessarily.
• Avoid using mobile devices such as phones while driving in work zones.
• Turn on headlights so that workers and other drivers can see you.
• Be especially alert at night while driving in work zones.
• Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.
• Allow ample space between you and the car in front of you.
• Anticipate lane shifts and merge when directed to do so.
• Be patient!

Whole System. Whole Safety.

To heighten safety awareness, CDOT announced its Whole System — Whole Safety initiative. This project takes a systematic statewide approach to safety combining the benefits of CDOT’s programs that address driving behaviors, our built environment and the organization's operations. The goal is to improve the safety of Colorado’s transportation network by reducing the rate and severity of crashes and improving the safety of all transportation modes. The program has one simple mission—to get everyone home safely.

About CDOT

CDOT has approximately 3,000 employees located throughout Colorado, and manages more than 23,000 lane miles of highway and 3,429 bridges. CDOT also manages grant partnerships with a range of other agencies, including metropolitan planning organizations, local governments and airports. It also administers Bustang, the state-owned and operated interregional express service. Governor Polis has charged CDOT to further build on the state’s intermodal mobility options.