Gina from Castle Pines writes, “What’s driving you crazy? The road work on Quebec at Lincoln Ave next to the Post Office. It is HORRIBLE! Traffic gets backed up for blocks and blocks and some drivers are cutting others off just to get around it. It takes FOREVER to get past the Post Office. It is such a mess! When will it be done?”
This is one of the worst construction traffic jams I’ve seen in a long, long time Gina. Drivers on northbound Quebec are waiting through a half a dozen or more light cycles just to get past it. You are not alone in your frustration especially after the latest configuration change and the loss of the dedicated right turn lane from northbound Quebec onto eastbound Lincoln Ave. The backups in the morning can be almost unbearable for many drivers.
Douglas County Public Works is trying to make the intersection better but in the meantime, you are right, it is a mess. The main focus of this work is improving the northbound right-turn lane from Quebec Street to eastbound Lincoln Avenue. They are fixing the “vertical grade issue” on the southeast corner of the intersection as they upgrade the right turn and acceleration lane on eastbound Lincoln Avenue. They will also widen Lincoln Avenue for a future additional eastbound lane.
You might have noticed that the neighborhood cut through just before Lincoln is blocked off. Dennis Lobberding, Douglas County Traffic Engineer, says there is a big problem with some drivers going around the barricade. “There have been numerous complaints on cut through traffic on Dutch Creek from Quebec, even though turns there are illegal. The Douglas County Sheriff department has been out several times to issue tickets for this,” Lobberding said.
He tells me the current temporary barrier located at Dutch Creek and Quebec will remain there until this part of the project is completed and the traffic has “stabilized” at the Lincoln Avenue / Quebec intersection.
In the short term the construction crew will finish work on an underground pipe and then work some long days with the intent of pouring concrete by Thursday. This will allow cure time over the Labor Day weekend. After Labor Day, Douglas County Engineering will fast track the work to complete the reconstruction of Quebec.
“This work is planned for 10 days to complete the remaining through lane and outside left turn lane. After the concrete pavement is completed, the contractor will continue on with the walls, curb and gutter and sidewalk, emphasizing on the Quebec work first. This work should be done by the end of October, leaving only landscaping to complete,” Lobberding said.
He tells me that except for concrete pour days, they anticipate little impact to traffic after the widening is completed.
This is just part of the upgrades that are planned for this intersection. Other future phases of the Project will focus on widening of other legs of the intersection in order to provide for additional capacity improvements.
Even though it is the long way around you will save some frustration by using McArthur Ranch to Wildcat Reserve and then north to University. If you want to keep going up to 470 then you can use Cresthill to Gleneagles Village to get back to Quebec. Of course University gets you to 470 as well.
In two months when the worst is over you will be praising Douglas County for the newly improved intersection but for the next couple of weeks I suggest going around it.
Read other Driving You Crazy stories.
Denver7 traffic reporter Jayson Luber says he has been covering Denver-metro traffic since Ben-Hur was driving a chariot. (We believe the actual number is about 20 years.) He's obsessed with letting viewers know what's happening on their drive and the best way to avoid the problems that spring up. Follow him on Facebookand Twitter.