Election Day 2005

Transportation Commission OK's Referendums C & D Projects

Voters will decide on Nov. 8 whether to suspend TABOR and allow the Colorado Department of Transportation to issue bonds that would fund statewide projects.

The Colorado Transportation Commission finalized on June 16 the list of projects to be funded by bonds should voters approve Referendums C and D in November.

Referendum C (HB05-1194/1350) would allow the state to retain revenues in excess of the state fiscal year spending levels set forth in the Taxpayers' Bill of Rights for the next five fiscal years. Its companion measure, Referendum D (HB05-1333), authorizes CDOT to issue up to $1.7 billion in bonds to fund an approved list of highway projects. The bonds would be backed by the excess revenues.

Current market conditions indicate that CDOT would be able to issue approximately $1.2 billion in bonds. Construction could begin next summer with the final round of projects starting in 2009.

CDOT has worked in partnership with 15 transportation planning regions statewide and local and state elected officials to determine the list of projects. More than 40 meetings were held over a two-month period to provide the commission with a list of recommendations for its approval.

The final list represents a balance of urban, rural and mountain projects across the state. It also includes improvements in the safety, mobility and the quality of Colorado's transportation system.

The Referendums C and D projects are:

• I-25 South, Meadows Parkway to 5th Street (Douglas County) - widening;
• I-25 South, 5th Street to south of Plum Creek (Douglas County) - widening and interchange improvements at Plum Creek;
• I-25 South, Ridgegate Interchange (Douglas County) - new interchange construction and frontage roads;
• I-70 West at Empire Junction and another location yet to be determined (Clear Creek County) - acceleration lane;
• U.S. 285 between Conifer and Bailey, Richmond Hill to Shaefer's Crossing (Jefferson County) - widening and interchange construction;
• U.S. 285 between Conifer and Bailey, Deer Creek Interchange (Park County) - new interchange construction;
• U.S. 40/U.S. 287 between Limon and Campo, Hugo east (Lincoln County) - minor widening to add shoulders and reconstruction (22 miles);
• U.S. 40/U.S. 287 between Limon and Campo, just south of Kit Carson (Cheyenne County) - bridge reconstruction;
• State Highway 9 from Valley Brooke north (Summit County) - widening (four miles);
• I-25 through Colorado Springs (El Paso County) - reconstruction of interchanges;
• U.S. 287, State Highway 116 north (Baca, Prowers counties)- roadway reconstruction (11.4-mile segment);
• U.S. 287, Lamar south (Prowers County) - roadway reconstruction (16-mile segment);
• I-25 in Trinidad (Las Animas County) - viaduct reconstruction;
• o I-25 in Pueblo, Eden Interchange (Pueblo County) - new interchange construction;
• U.S. 50/State Highway 115 in Canon City (Fremont County) - safety improvements;
• I-70 in Glenwood Springs, U.S. 40 over Rabbit Ears Pass and U.S. 40 at Maybell (Eagle, Moffat, Jackson counties) - resurfacing;
• State Highway 82 Maroon Creek Bridge in Aspen, State Highway 114 Tomichi Creek Bridge, east of Gunnison, State Highway 131 Bridge in Oak Creek, State Highway 82 at Basalt (Pitkin, Route, Gunnison, Eagle counties) - bridge replacements and bridge enhancement at Basalt;
• I-70 Business Route in Grand Junction (Mesa County) - widening and intersection improvements (1.5-mile segment);
• State Highway 92 between Austin and Hotchkiss (Delta County) - minor widening for shoulders and reconstruction (1.5-mile segment within project limits);
• U.S. 50 between Montrose and Sargents (Gunnison County) - minor widening for shoulders and reconstruction (1.5-mile segment within project limits);
• State Highway 13 south of State Highway 64 (Rio Blanco) - minor widening for shoulders and reconstruction (1.6 mile segment within project limits);
• U.S. 24 at the bottom of Tennessee Pass (Lake County) - minor widening for shoulders and reconstruction (.2 mile segment);
• Roaring Fork Transit Authority (Pitkin, Garfield counties) - provides federal transit fund match for bus maintenance facility reconstruction;
• Grand Valley Transit (Mesa County) - provides federal transit fund match for bus maintenance facility;
• I-70 over Vail Pass (Eagle and Summit Counties) - environmental clearance and westbound climbing lanes (2.2 mile segment);
• I-70 Business Route in Grand Junction (Mesa County) - widening and multiple intersection improvements (2.8 miles);
• I-70, west end of DeBeque Canyon to Palisade (Mesa County) - widening for shoulders, reconstruction and curve smoothing (six-mile segment);
• I-70 at State Highway 340 in Fruita (Mesa County) - ramp improvements and intersection signalization;
• I-70 at Dowd Junction/U.S. 24 (Eagle County) - ramp improvements, curve smoothing, retaining wall replacement;
• U.S. 50 between Montrose and Sargents (Gunnison County) - climbing lanes and widening for shoulders, reconstruction (nine-mile segment);
• State Highway 9 and U.S. 40 just outside of Kremmling (Grand County) - widening for shoulders and reconstruction;
• State Highway 13 from the Wyoming state line south (Moffat County) - widening for shoulders and reconstruction (five miles);
• I-25 North from State Highway 52 to State Highway 119 (Weld County) - widening;
• I-76 between Fort Morgan and Brush (Morgan County) - reconstruction and interchange improvements (six-mile segment within project limits);
• U.S. 34 Business Route, State Highway 257 to 71st Street in Greeley (Weld County) - widening;
• State Highway 119/State Highway 52 (Boulder County) - new interchange construction;
• U.S. 36/Boulder Turnpike (Boulder, Broomfield, Jefferson, Adams counties)- transit and highway improvements to be determined by environmental study;
• U.S. 160 through Alamosa (Alamosa County) - reconstruction and widening to provide for one-way pairs of traffic;
• U.S. 160 east of Wolf Creek Pass (Mineral County) - widening for shoulders, safety improvements and reconstruction (two-mile segment);
• U.S. 160 from the Alamosa/Rio Grande county line east (Alamosa County) - adds passing lanes (four-mile segment);
• U.S. 160/County Road 222/223, east of Durango (La Plata County) - intersection reconstruction and relocation;
• U.S. 160 at Farmington Hill, just east of Durango (La Plata County) - adds an additional westbound lane though the Farmington Hill intersection, reconstruction;
• U.S. 550, New Mexico state line north (La Plata County) - widening and intersection improvements (four-mile segment);
• U.S. 160/U.S. 491, New Mexico state line to Cortez (Montezuma County) - widening to add shoulders and passing lanes, reconstruction and intersection improvements (17-mile segment)
• State Highway 62 through Ridgway (Ouray County) - adds auxiliary lanes and other improvements;
• I-25/U.S. 36/I-270/I-76 Interchange Complex (Adams County) - completes the multiple-phase project by adding a ramp to connect south/eastbound I-270 to north/eastbound I-76;
• I-70 at Quebec Street (Denver County) - interchange reconstruction;
• U.S. 6 (6th Avenue) at Wadsworth Boulevard (Jefferson County) - interchange reconstruction;
• I-70 at State Highway 58 (Jefferson County) - interchange improvements;
• I-25 Valley Highway, Broadway to Alameda (Denver County) - widening, bridge replacement and interchange improvements;
• U.S. 36/120th Avenue extension (Broomfield County) - builds new four-lane extension of 120th Avenue over U.S. 36;
• I-225 at Colfax Avenue (U.S. 40) and 17th Avenue in Aurora (Arapahoe, Adams counties) - interchange and capacity improvements;
• C-470 at Santa Fe Drive (Douglas, Arapahoe counties) - interchange reconstruction;
• Arapahoe Road (State Highway 88) at Parker Road (State Highway 83) (Arapahoe County) - intersection improvements to accommodate future interchange; and
• State Highway 44 (104th Avenue), Colorado Boulevard to U.S. 85 (Adams County) - capacity improvements

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