Construction Project Causes Backups, But Payoff Will Be Great
GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4)- A construction project in Golden is creating some backups for drivers, but the city says in the end, it will be a safer intersection for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.
The renovations are underway at 6th Avenue and 19th Street. Construction began earlier this year and crews are now headed into phase two of the project that will create a massive new interchange linking Lookout Mountain to Golden.
"There are ramps being constructed right now," said Dan Hartman, Director of Public Works for the City of Golden. "Traffic will be detoured to those ramps and then they'll lower 6th Avenue about 25 feet."
It's a $25 million project, primarily funded by the Colorado Department of Transportation, and is expected to wrap up in September of 2017. The project will include landscaping, trails and park amenities above the busy highway. But before then, the site is a slow-go cone zone.
"So far traffic impacts haven't been too bad," Hartman told CBS4's Kelly Werthmann. "We've been very careful with the contractor. They don't shut down a lane until after nine in the morning and we have to open them up by three to stay away from peak hours, especially this time of year with people headed to the mountains."
Construction crews in bright colored vests surround the busy intersection. The area is also marked by dozens of orange warning signs. Just in case that's not enough though, the project also has its own social media account to keep commuters up to speed with traffic delays.
"If something changes in the middle of the day, we plan one thing, we'll send a tweet out," Hartman said.
There is also a light pole nearby with a camera on it that the city streams online to provide people a birds-eye view of the construction site.
"So, if you have nothing to do in life, you can watch construction," Hartman joked. "But you can also see how bad traffic looks."
For more information on the project, visiting LinkingLookout.com. To get Twitter updates about how construction is affecting traffic there, follow @LinkingLookout.
Kelly Werthmann joined the CBS4 team in 2012 as the morning reporter, covering national stories like the Aurora Theater Shooting and devastating Colorado wildfires. She now anchors CBS4 Weekend Morning News and reports during the week. Connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @KellyCBS4.
