16/04/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 16/04/2024 22:06
Chaffee County - On Friday, April 12, Poncha Springs government officials joined The Colorado Department of Transportation and its prime contractor, United Companies to break ground on the new US Highways 50 and 285 intersection improvements project near Poncha Springs.
"The junction of US 50 and US 285 is an important intersection, known locally as the crossroads of the Rockies. The improvements will enhance connectivity and safety for our Arkansas Valley communities and regions in every direction," said Executive Director Shoshana Lew. "This is such an exciting example of delivering two of the rural road projects in CDOT's 10-Year Plan."
Local Poncha Springs Town Administrator Lance Hostetter added, "We are at the heart of the Arkansas Valley which connects all parts of the State of Colorado, which becomes one of the busiest areas during the summertime and connects all of our great public lands together. This is an important project and we are excited to continue our partnership (with CDOT)."
Work begins this week to realign and reconstruct the existing three-way configuration into a four-way signalized intersection to improve safety and traffic flow. Crews will start with reconstructing the intersection, and then as an additional benefit of the project, will pave approximately seven miles of US 50 from the intersection to just west of Maysville, Mile Point 210-217.
The project will create a safer intersection by correcting the sharp curve radius that currently exists and will align US 285 with Kimberlin Lane. Additionally, the right turn lane from westbound US 50 to northbound 285 will be lengthened. Paving approximately seven miles of roadway on US 50 will be the last task for the project team along with replacing signage and delineators. Work is expected to be completed the first week of October
"In addition to this project, CDOT is focusing efforts this summer on several other highway improvements in and around Chaffee County. Over the past few years, we have seen traffic volumes grow significantly as people are inspired to explore new places and folks venture to communities outside of our urban areas." mentioned Regional Transportation Director Julie Constan. "Being able to make permanent and safe improvements along these busy rural corridors will help this region grow in a manner that accommodates more traffic than it was originally built for."
Additional projects (with website links) that are taking place this summer in South-Central Colorado include:
For additional information about this project:
A media kit with videos, soundbites and photos from the groundbreaking event are available by contacting [email protected].
Travelers are urged to "know before you go." Gather information about weather forecasts and anticipated travel impacts and current road conditions prior to hitting the road. CDOT resources include:
The following tips are to help you stay safe while traveling through maintenance and construction work zones.
The new free COtrip Planner mobile app was designed to meet the growing trend of information on mobile and tablet devices for the traveling public. The COtrip Planner app provides statewide, real-time traffic information, and works on mobile devices that operate on the iOS and Android platforms. Visit the Google Play Store (Android devices) or the Apple Store (iOS devices) to download!