Northeast Colorado gets nearly $33 million in federal stimulus for much-needed projects

News Release

February 16, 2021 - Northeast Colorado - Berthoud mayor one of many excited to see additional roadwork coming soon

Berthoud Mayor Will Karspeck summed up the impact on his community from just some of the nearly $33 million northeastern Colorado recently received in federal stimulus money.

“Our view of the Front Range just got more convenient, comfortable, and more sustainable!” Karspeck wrote in a recent column in the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor, regarding the $6.5 million received to complete the new transportation mobility hub on I-25 at CO 56, the Berthoud exit.

Karspeck complimented the Colorado Department of Transportation and the North Front Range MPO team among others for moving quickly over the holidays to provide the list of projects which included the hub.

Heather Paddock, Regional Transportation Director for CDOT in Northeast Colorado, agreed with that assessment. “CDOT was one of the first organizations in the nation who responded quickly over the holidays to provide a list of shovel-ready projects for approval by the Transportation Commission in early January.”

The transportation mobility hub at CO 56 is similar to the one being built to the north of US 34 in Loveland. A new Park N Ride is being built north of the interchange. A walkway will lead to a tunnel under I-25 that leads to an incline that leads to the new Bustang stop in the middle of I-25. The center-load station will allow buses to exit left out of the new Express Lanes to pick up and drop off riders before continuing in the Express Lane. This will save travel time and is safer by avoiding crossing traffic in the free lanes. This Berthoud mobility hub is one in over a dozen planned and identified in the 10-year plan for the I-25 corridor between Fort Collins in Pueblo.

Mayor Karspeck said the Berthoud Area Transportation System is going through a re-envisioning process that will include connections to the hub from town.

Paddock added, “Linking our expansion of I-25 with local, regional and statewide mass transit is the perfect partnership and one that truly hits the heart of stimulating the economy in the short-term with jobs and in the long-term with a connection that opens all of our communities to the entire Front Range.”

Below are renderings of that the hub will look like and a video animation is available below and on Youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zflwnw3nNJQ.

Coming up with the list of projects for the stimulus funds was made a little easier because CDOT has a recently approved 10-year plan of projects, many of which had already been through an extensive design process and were only awaiting funding.

The federal stimulus money was intended to infuse local economies with work that is beneficial to the community. Paddock said it was that goal and a focus on spreading economic recovery projects throughout the region that lead to the approved list.

The project list includes rural paving, interstate paving, an adaptive traffic signal system to ease congestion and provide transit priority at intersections on CO 119, safety, accessibility and multimodal projects as well as several essential repair projects for a few aging and historic timber bridges in the region.

The full list is below:

NE CO	Berthoud Mobility Hub at I-25 and CO 56	$6.5 million	This project will fund design and interim construction costs for a center-loading express Bustang station, supporting bus service between Fort Collins and Denver.
NE CO	I-76 Repaving West of CO 144	$8 million	This project, part of CDOT’s Rural Paving Program, will deliver a smoother and safer driving surface.
NE CO	CO 385 Phillips Repaving	$7.1 million	This project, part of CDOT’s Rural Paving Program, will deliver a smoother and safer driving surface.
NE CO	CO 119 Adaptive Signal System	$2.4 million	This project will upgrade signals along CO119, one in a series of investments planned for this corridor.
NE CO	Bridge Maintenance: CO 52 near Hudson	$250,000	CDOT maintenance crews will add additional steel to increase the structural capacity of the bridge. This repair method avoids structure replacement which will extend the safety and usability of the bridge until it can be replaced.
NE CO	Bridge Maintenance: CO 59 near Haxtun	$300,000	CDOT maintenance crews will add additional steel to increase the structural capacity of the bridge. This repair method avoids structure replacement which will extend the safety and usability of the bridge until it can be replaced.
NE CO	Guardrail end treatment replacement	$1.6 million	Regionwide replacement of substandard end treatments of guardrail sections.
NE CO	CO 7 & 119th St in Lafayette	$2.6	This local agency project will add on-street bike lanes, sidewalk connectivity, and the ability for transit vehicles to move more freely through the intersection.
NE CO	Suballocation to North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Org.	$4 million	The federal formula specifies that $4 million of the funds be spent within the geographic parameters of the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (NFRMPO) area. CDOT will suballocate these dollars to NFRMPO for expenditure by local governments, and request quick action to maximize stimulus benefits.

*A view of the new interchange with the mobility hub to the north.*

*Looking west from the new Park N Ride.*

*Looking north from the center-load Bustang stop in the middle of I-25.*

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.

In early 2019, CDOT announced its Whole System — Whole Safety initiative to heighten safety awareness. This initiative 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.