Road crews are beginning a two-month construction project at the Harrison Street and Mildred Road intersections on Main Street in downtown Cortez to upgrade stoplights and enhance pedestrian features at crosswalks.
Colorado Department of Transportation is replacing the older, incandescent traffic lights with more energy-efficient LED equipment that have a longer life span and requires less maintenance. The project begins Monday, and is work is expected to continue through August.
Cars traveling east and west may be slowed by lanes reducing to one and by some closures affecting turn lanes throughout construction.
“We will always try to keep traffic flowing but there will be some impacts because of loss of lanes,” said CDOT spokesperson Lisa Schwantes.
She added construction will occur at two separate work zones – one at the Harrison Street intersection and another area at Mildred Road.
“We continue to improve intersections in communities across the state, and we tend to think of drivers, but it’s so important we think of multimodal transportation,” Schwantes said, adding that could mean bikers, pedestrians pushing strollers and people in wheelchairs.
The project will cost $1.6 million and is using contractor Morton Electric, Inc. It is also bringing upgrades to the pedestrian crossing areas, Schwantes said, aligning with the department’s priority of helping communities stay compliant with more modern aspects of Americans with Disabilities Act. The project includes new striping for crosswalks, curb ramps built with proper slopes and textured surfaces providing a design that helps wheels go by safety.
The crossings will have braille and audio messages to inform people who are visually impaired when its safe to cross.
The project continues similar upgrades made recently around Cortez.
In 2023, CDOT upgraded the stoplight technology and made ADA-accessible improvements to crosswalks for the East Main and State streets intersection and the West Main and Chestnut streets intersection. In 2020, a new signal was installed at the Hawkins Street intersection.
Nine more intersections saw ADA-compliant crosswalks and ramps upgrades to the following: Maple Street, Linden Street, Washington Street, Madison Street, Harrison Street, Park Street, Mildred Road, Sligo Street and Hawkins Street.
Stoplight upgrades at Harrison and Mildred cost $1.5 million and come from CDOT’s signal-asset management funds, while ADA improvements are paid through the state and federal curb ramp enhancement funds, costing about $110,000.
awatson@the-journal.com
