Road Closures and Trail News

ROAD CLOSURES AND IMPACTS

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has announced the ongoing work associated with the CO 119 Safety, Mobility & Bikeway Improvements Project for the week of April 6 through April 12,

The right shoulder on southbound CO 119 will be closed between Jay Road and Hover Street beginning Monday, April 7 at 7 a.m. and ending Friday, April 11 at 5 p.m. for traffic signal work.

Niwot Road/CO 119 intersection/median

Full closure of the Niwot Road/CO 119 median for all modes of transportation will run from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, then again from 9 p.m on Monday April 28 through 5 a.m. Wednesday May 7. Crossing CO 119 on Niwot Road will be prohibited. The sidewalk in the median will remain open during the April 12 closure. CDOT announced that the closures are required to construct the bikeway underpass at this location.

During these closures, as in construction closures at other locations, Niwot Road will be a "right-in, right-out intersection."

Westbound traffic will head north on CO 119/Diagonal Highway, use Airport Road to get on southbound CO 119/Diagonal Highway, and exit onto westbound Niwot Road. Eastbound traffic will head south on CO 119/Diagonal Highway, turn left onto Colorado Highway 52, and turn left onto northbound 79th Street to return to eastbound Niwot Road.

The accompanying map provides information on the required traffic flow at this location.

Cyclists have not been provided a dedicated detour and are encouraged to use an alternate route during the construction at this location.

63rd Street Construction

The water line replacement work at 63rd Street where it intersects CO 119 has also been a challenge to public travel. The reports on the Boulder City Water Line Project Website on the Boulder County government site states that this project will continue until the Fall of 2025.

The present closure of the eastbound turn onto Lookout from 63rd Street is slated to continue "into this spring" according to the project page. This closure is reportedly necessary, "due to the proximity of construction impacts in the area to the railroad."

63rd Street between Jay Road and Gunbarrel Avenue/Nautilus Drive is estimated to be closed to all travel "through the spring."

However the closure of 63rd Street from Jay Road to Twin Lakes Road is reported on the 63rd St Waterline Project Website.to open either April 4 or April 11.

Similarly, the section from Twin Lakes Road to Gunbarrel Avenue/Nautilus Drive is expected to re-open May 2.

All scheduling is weather-dependent.

The detour route for the Nottinghill Gate/Willows area is northeast through Twin Lakes Road to Spine Road.

Sometime in early April, both lanes of traffic on 63rd Street between Gunbarrel Avenue to the 63rd Street railroad crossing will shift to the east side of 63rd Street This shift is estimated to last into June.

Project information can be followed on the 63rd St Waterline Project Website.

TRAILS

Recently, the Public Works and Community Planning & Permitting Departments announced that the Fourmile Canyon Creek Trail Underpass, which is the long-awaited connection between the Fourmile Canyon Creek Path and the Cottonwood Trail as part of the Longmont-to-Boulder (LoBo) Trail system, is now officially opened.

Previously, cyclists and pedestrians were either illegally crossing the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad tracks at this location in order to access the underpass of CO Highway 119 or crossing the highly trafficked highway at Jay Road. After BNSF was persuaded to support the project, they undertook and completed the first phase of construction in late 2023. The County then provided the construction of the underpass, the pathway connection, and landscape restoration.

County Public Works Director Steve Durian was quoted in the Boulder County Colorado Daily Digest Bulletin as saying, "The completion of this project is instrumental in connecting the trail systems in north and east Boulder to Gunbarrel, Niwot, and Longmont and in a safe way for trail users without being disruptive to BNSF railroad operations." It is also a pivotal link to the county's regional Longmont-to-Boulder (LoBo) Trail.

In addition to BNSF and OSMP, the county-led effort on the construction of the underpass was also completed due to the cooperation of the City of Boulder's Transportation and Mobility Department.

A formal celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony is slated to be performed sometime this summer. Specific information will be announced when plans are finalized.