CDOT Begins Two Intersection Improvement Projects in La Plata County

September 4, 2015 - Southwestern Colorado/CDOT Region 5 - SH 151 at County Road 521 (Buck Highway) East of Ignacio and SH 172 at County Road 307 West of Oxford

LA PLATA COUNTY - The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has begun two projects to improve intersections at State Highway (SH) 151 at County Road (CR) 521 (Buck Highway) east of Ignacio and at SH 172 at CR 307 west of Oxford (see map, below).

These projects have received federal Hazard Elimination System program funds. Both will widen the state highways to add left-turn lanes to improve overall safety and both were awarded to Tricon2 LLC.

The following are project details and travel impacts:

SH 172/CR 307 Intersection Improvement, La Plata County (19740)
Project Cost: $626,000 budget (total estimated project cost)
Work: This project includes adding a left-turn deceleration lane from SH 172 onto CR 307 (between MP 21.9 and MP 22.4 west of Oxford, which is halfway between the junction with US 160 on the north and the airport to the south).
Average Daily Traffic: 7,100 to 9,300
Project Benefits: Increases safety at this intersection that receives increasingly high volumes of large truck traffic.
Work Hours/Travel Impacts: Impacts to travel will be between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., expect lane shift shifts and periodic single-lane traffic and delays, as the speed limit will be reduced to 40 mph (down from 65 mph) during work hours, fines will be doubled in work zone
Duration: September 1 to late November 2015
Project Cost: $815,702 budget
Project Information:970-343-9946

SH 151/CR 521 Intersection Improvements, La Plata County (19762)
Project Cost: $815,700 budget (total estimated project cost)
Work: This project includes adding a continuous left-turn lane on SH 151, just east of Ignacio, to serve both CR 521 (Buck Highway) to the north and CR 321 to the south; adds shoulders between MP 0.33 and MP 0.73.
Average Daily Traffic: 2,900 +
Project Benefits: Increases safety at this off-set intersection, where an accident history shows a higher incidence of collisions involving left-turning vehicles.
Work Hours/Travel Impacts: Impacts to travel will be between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; expect some single-lane traffic and some delay, as the speed will be reduced to 40 mph.
Duration: September 8 to late November
Project Information:970-343-9946

CDOT PROJECT INFORMATION:  To sign up for CDOT updates on projects in your chosen area, visit CDOT’s website at www.codot.govand choose the envelope icon at the bottom of the page. Or, to see CDOT’s lane closure reports for projects statewide, visit www.codot.gov/travel/scheduled-lane-closures.html. A brief on all upcoming projects (titled “Traffic Watchers”) in CDOT’s Region 5 (SW Colorado) is posted here:  https://www.codot.gov/programs-projects/projects. Major CDOT project updates are also available via Twitter @coloradodot and be sure to “Like” us on Facebook. Download the free CDOT Mobile for information regarding the I-70 and I-25 corridors by texting “CDOT” to 25827 or search CDOT Mobile in your App Store.