71st Street Shoulder Project plans generally well received

According to Boulder County Transportation’s Andrew Barth, the majority of those attending the Dec. 4, 71st Street Shoulders Project open house “were strongly in favor of all aspects of construction.”

While the new alignment of 71st Street to Highway 52 was well received, many who left comments requested installing a traffic signal at the intersection. Barth responded by saying, “…area is controlled by CDOT (Colorado Department of Transportation) so we cannot accommodate {that request} at this time.” CDOT has been informed of the request.

Barth said he believes the new alignment of the two roads will help with line of sight issues. “The addition of a left and right turn lane should also help alleviate some of the traffic backups seen at rush hours.”

Other comments addressed concerns about maintaining access to the Gunbarrel Business Park and homes on 71st street during construction.

“We’re going to do our best to keep the road open during construction,” Barth said. “But there are multiple culverts to rebuild, so there will likely be a need for closures. We’ll know more about how the construction will play out as we refine plans.”

Plans for the project need to be finalized and put out for bid. The county is looking for a 2019 start, with construction taking between four to six months.