To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Bryan Weimer, Director, Public Works & Development
Prepared By:
prepared
James Katzer, PE, Transportation Division Manager; Cathleen Valencia, PE, Capital Improvement Program Manager; Ryan Seacrist, PE, CIP Engineer III
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Subject:
title
Temporary Intersection Closure of South Cherry Creek Drive at Iliff Avenue
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The Public Works and Development Transportation Division is requesting that the Arapahoe County Board of County Commissioners approve an intersection closure on Cherry Creek Drive South at Iliff Avenue by approval of the attached resolution. The intersection closure is needed for installation of a waterline, stormwater line, and roadway improvements. The requested closure will last 45 days and will begin in June of 2022.
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Background and Discussion: The Iliff Operational Improvements Project (Project) will add drainage facilities, new and wider sidewalks, turn lanes, bicycle lanes, and intersection improvements with new traffic signals along with telecommunications from Quebec Street to Parker Road (SH 83) all with the purpose of improving operations and safety along the corridor. The Project will also resurface the roadway and provide some lighting as a pilot project for Arapahoe County. Planned improvements specifically in the Cherry Creek Drive South area at Iliff include new pavement, sidewalk, curb & gutter, pedestrian ramps, lighting, waterline relocation, Cherry Creek trail connection and stormwater infrastructure with stormwater quality connection.
Allowing the closure provides many advantages to the project including:
• The contractor being able to complete all of the work at one time without having to come back and flip traffic or request an additional closure.
• The contractor being able to complete the work in one phase in order to expedite the critical path.
• Alleviating the risk of having trench patching and piecemeal work thus improving the overall quality of construction in the intersection.
The Colorado Revised Statues (CRS) allows for road closures and the road closure procedures implemented by the County meet the requirements of the laws, CRS 42-4-106 (6). In particular, the road closure meets the law in the following ways: for the purposes of road construction, is a temporary closure, increases the safety and protection of work crews and road equipment, and establishes a detour.
This work relates to the Cherry Creek Valley Water and Sanitation District water line relocation that was reached in a settlement agreement. The road closure will be communicated to the users of Iliff and those that provide services to the community.
Alternatives: The Board could deny approval of the closure and the work would proceed with schedule impacts to the critical path resulting in further delaying the completion of the project. Work would need to be phased and additional traffic impact time and cost would be incurred.
Fiscal Impact: Granting the intersection closure will allow a decrease to the schedule impacts caused by utility relocations. The project is already seeing significant delay due to utility relocations and the project team is looking to be innovative in getting the project back on schedule. Allowing the temporary closure will allow the contractor to complete work more efficiently thus saving the County money and construction days
Alignment with Strategic Plan:
☒Be fiscally sustainable
☒Provide essential and mandated service
☒Be community focused
Concurrence: Public Works and Development Department and Open Spaces staff have reviewed the intersection closure request from the contractor and method of handling traffic (MHT) for both vehicular and pedestrian/bicycle traffic.
Resolution: Attached is a copy of the draft resolution.