DENVER - It's one of Denver's busiest intersections, and it's currently under some major construction.
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles travel through First Avenue and University Boulevard every day.
If you've driven through this intersection recently, you know the commute has been longer than normal. If you haven't, plan accordingly. Lane restrictions may have you waiting in standstill traffic.
So why is this intersection under a major facelift?
Denver Public Works is in the process of installing a new storm drainage system. The storm drainage improvements are designed to reduce the frequency of flooding in the Cherry Creek area. The initial phase of the project is happening right now.
Crews are installing a new outfall structure draining into Cherry Creek through a new storm drain pipe. That pipe will ultimately extend north into the Cherry Creek North neighborhood.
The new drainage pipe from the outfall to the intersection of Second Avenue and University Boulevard is going in now.
It's not just a pipe. Crews are adding storm drain laterals, drain inlets and other structures to improve how and where water flows from major rainstorms.
The next phase of the storm drainage project will extend the drainage improvements to East Fourth Avenue and St. Paul Street.
Along with a new drainage system, DPW is also reconstructing and realigning the lanes. The realigning of University Boulevard and Josephine Street from Cherry Creek North Drive to Sixth Avenue will involve replacing the deteriorated surface with a concrete pavement section, which has an expected lifespan of 30 years.
During this project, traffic is flowing in all directions with some intermittent lane changes here and there. Businesses in the area remain accessible from all directions.
There are a few road closures to keep in mind: Josephine Street between First and Second streets will be closed through June. That traffic is being routed to University Boulevard.
During this construction, Denver Public Works would like to remind everyone that Cherry Creek is open. From shops to businesses to restaurants, all existing businesses and parking garages are open. Cherry Creek will host all of its regular special event activities this year including the Cherry Creek Farmers Market, the Cherry Creek Sneak, the Cherry Creek Arts Festival and the Cherry Creek North Sidewalk Sale.
The project is expected to be completed by Thanksgiving, weather permitting.
By the end of it, Denver Public Works says these new features will make this heavily-traveled intersection more accessible and easier to drive:
- New ADA-compliant pedestrian ramps at intersections.
- Fully-rebuilt traffic signals at seven locations with a shorter cycle – close to 60 seconds – in order to provide a frequent pedestrian phase (as a comparison, the downtown signal phase is 90 seconds long).
- The colored lenses on the traffic signals north of 1st Avenue are planned to be upgraded from 8-inches to 12-inches in diameter. According to DPW, these larger lenses have been shown to have a positive impact on red light running. All new signals will include pedestrian countdown indicators as well.
- The project will also initiate a larger signal retiming effort that will optimize the progression of travel movements from Cherry Creek South Drive to Fourth Avenue
- Refreshed pavement markings on the new concrete pavement will include striped crosswalks for pedestrians at all signalized intersections
Sick of the traffic or construction? DPW has a few alternative routes:
- Pedestrian and bicycle detours are posted at www.cherrycreekimprovements.com
- Vehicle detours may direct users to Colorado Boulevard. There are various north/south options available depending on a driver's destination. For the Josephine Street closure from First to Second that is in place through June, northbound vehicles are being detoured onto University Boulevard
Didn't hear about the project? Denver Public works says voters approved this project last year as part of the Better Denver Bond program and by Wastewater Management's Capital Improvement Program. The storm drainage improvements were identified as a critical need in both the city-wide Storm Drainage Master Plan and the Cherry Creek Neighborhood Drainage Study completed by the Denver Public Works Wastewater Management Division.
Lane restrictions and closures change daily. You can find the most up to date information at www.cherrycreekimprovements.com and or by calling 303-730-4522.
(KUSA-TV © 2014 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)
