Driving You Crazy: Why do we wait through multiple cycles to get through the light at 120th and Tower Rd?

COMMERCE CITY, Colo — Jennifer from Brighton writes, “What’s driving you crazy? The intersection at 120th and Tower has become very busy and the 120th lanes are single lane even for turning vehicles. If someone is heading east and turning south onto Tower, you can sit through multiple cycles waiting to get through the light. Couldn't we have a light that has arrows so all traffic going one direction has full green to get everyone through the light cycle?”

That part of metro Denver has seen a tremendous amount of growth, especially just west of there with many new housing developments. When I talked to the public works department in Commerce City they told me while the current amount of traffic going east on 120th to Tower Road is getting heavier, that volume is still within what a single lane can normally handle. “In the morning peak hour, an average of about 520 cars move through the intersection. That count drops significantly after peak hour and the intersection is currently operating well throughout most of the day.”

They add that under current conditions, the traffic volume along southbound Tower Rd remains very light and they see plenty of gaps in the flow for drivers trying to make that right turn from eastbound 120^th to go south on Tower Road.

With that said, the public works department told me they are aware that this intersection will need improvements over time as the area continues to grow, and the city is considering what those improvements should look like. One upcoming improvement they city hopes will help with traffic flow will be the eventual extension of High Plains Parkway between 120^th Ave and 112^th Ave. The city says everyday commuters should notice a sizeable reduction in congestion at 120^th and Tower as High Plains will provide a direct connection just west of Tower Rd through a new proposed Buckley Crossing Development that is currently mostly open land. The city believes once High Plains is built, much of the existing traffic will shift over to Buckley/High Plains Parkway at 120th instead of using Tower at 120th. A specific timeline for that road construction has not yet been established.

There is another large mixed use development planned for the north side of 120^th between Buckley and Tower Rd that will also change the traffic flow here. The way this entire area looks right now will be vastly different five years from now and traffic patterns and volume will change along with it.

Denver7 Traffic Expert Jayson Luber says he has been covering Denver-metro traffic since Ben-Hur was driving a chariot. (We believe the actual number is over 25 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 Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or listen to his award winning Driving You Crazy podcast on any podcast app including iTunes, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Podbean, or YouTube.