DENVER -- If you were hoping to see a slow down of those orange construction barrels all around the Denver metro area any time soon, you're out of luck.
A newly released Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) short-term improvement plan shows growth and construction won't to be slowing down for quite some time.
“I’ve lived in Highlands Ranch since ’84 and so I’ve seen the growth, expect the growth, I like the growth, it’s a headache, but it’s also wonderful to live here, so you kind of have to put up with the headaches,” said Chip Sawyer, who drives C-470 through Douglas County daily.
CDOT officials have released a list of projects that are already fully funded and will break ground soon, if they haven’t already. The list is good news because no new tax payer money will be needed to finish them.
However, not all projects are listed to completion.
Unlike the C-470 widening project through Douglas and Jefferson Counties, which is fully funded through completion, the I-25 widening project from Castle Rock to Monument is only funded through the planning and visioning phases.
Tax payers who spoke with Denver7 overwhelmingly see the benefits that come with all of the money spent and headaches through construction.
“I think so ultimately because it’s just going to continue to grow, so you know we’re going to have to put up with it for a while,” said Heath Gibson.
And just because the projects are funded, doesn’t mean they are set in stone.
“I represent a vision of how we’re trying to make transportation easier, how we work to sort of save lives, as well as make this travel easier, but I think the bigger picture about it is, it’s fiscally constrained,” said Amy Ford, CDOT spokesperson. "It’s not something that we do in a vacuum either, we work very closely with a lot of different local communities to make sure that these projects reflect what people’s priorities are in their area.”
Many of these projects will need further funding from legislation that is in the state house right now.
Those smaller projects that are funded will break ground this spring and summer.
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