June 12, 2008
HIGHWAY 119 SAFETY PROJECT STARTS NEXT WEEK
GILPIN COUNTY – The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) begins work on Monday to straighten a segment of State Highway 119 through North Clear Creek Canyon. Operations include rock excavation, new concrete culverts, asphalt paving, erosion control, signing, striping, seeding and mulching.
Project hours are 4 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. Initial work will require northbound and southbound traffic to alternate through the work zone, approximately one mile north of the U.S. 6/SH 119 junction. Two-lane traffic resumes in a few weeks when a paved detour around the site opens. The speed limit through the area will be reduced to 40 mph.
Blasting operations begin in early to mid-July. Morning traffic stops of 20 minutes will be required for the safety of the traveling public. CDOT will send out an advisory before this phase begins with blast dates and hours.
“It’s primarily a safety project,” says CDOT Project Engineer Brian Gilbert. “We’re removing a large curve, straightening the highway and improving the sight distance, all of which are safety-enhancing measures, especially along a heavily traveled section of highway.”
Scott Contracting, Inc. of Henderson, CO is the contractor for the $2.3 million project. Completion is scheduled for early October 2008.
The project also falls under the North Clear Creek Mitigation Advisory Committee or NCCMAC. CDOT, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Environmental Protection Agency and the Silver Dollar Metropolitan District, along with a number of other agencies, have combined resources to mitigate mining impacts and to improve fish and wildlife habitat and transportation safety along the SH 119 corridor between U.S. 6 and Black Hawk. Because some of the projects, especially mine cleanup, are administered by other state or federal agencies, CDOT formed NCCMAC, allowing various entities to share, coordinate and gather information and to coordinate construction projects to reduce costs.
To enhance the environment of North Clear Creek Canyon, some of the plants removed as part of this project have been transplanted to areas around the Black Hawk/Central City Wastewater Treatment Plant, keeping the plants acclimated to the area’s tough growing conditions.
CDOT wants to remind motorists that information about this and other state highway projects is available on the cotrip.org website or by calling 511. Drivers also are asked to please Slow for the Cone Zone, stay alert and pay attention to and obey all work zone/advisory signs and flaggers.