Colorado 119 Project Partners Celebrate $25 Million Raise Grant Award and Kickoff to the Corridor Improvements Project
RTD joined CDOT, Boulder County and community leaders along the Colorado Highway 119 Diagonal corridor on Oct. 12 in Niwot to celebrate receipt of a $25 million federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant that will go toward construction of multimodal improvements to the corridor over the next two years. The event also marked the start of the CO 119 Safety and Mobilty Improvement Project.
The project will feature implementation of Bus Rapid Transit along CO 119 between Boulder and Longmont, a separated commuter bikeway in the median and numerous safety improvements to intersections throughout the Diagonal corridor.
CO 119 between Longmont and Boulder is the second most traveled corridor in Boulder County, serving residents, employees and visitors from across northern Colorado and the Denver metropolitan area.
Travelers along this vital regional transportation corridor, which is the primary connection between Boulder County’s two largest municipalities, face unpredictable travel times. Additionally, CO 119 from Boulder to Longmont is a high crash corridor that produces more severe crashes per mile than any other road in unincorporated Boulder County.
The planned improvements will optimize transit travel along the corridor by enhancing efficiency and safety while reducing travel times and improving air quality.
Specifically, investment in the region’s BRT infrastructure will add queue bypass lanes at signalized intersections along the corridor, incorporate bus-only lanes in certain sections in Longmont, and construct new median bus stations at 63rd Street, Mineral Road and Niwot Road stops.
RTD General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson applauded the myriad benefits of collaboration that will bring improvements to the corridor saying, “We are not only celebrating a RAISE Grant, but we are also celebrating partnerships. This project serves as a model example of how multiple public entities can work together to accomplish well-planned infrastructure that supports a multi-modal approach to transportation solutions.”
“It is a testament of what can happen when we all come together for the betterment of the community. RTD has committed $33 million to this project, in addition to investment from the federal government,” Johnson said.
While larger construction projects will not commence until 2024, the project team will initiate a rumble strip project this fall to address safety concerns in the corridor. Rumble strips, a type of grooved pavement that alerts drivers who veer into the shoulder of the highway, will be installed in places where there is adequate space that still allows for cyclists to utilize the shoulders. Signage will be installed at intersections to increase driver awareness of cyclists.
For additional information, visit the CO 119 Bus Rapid Transit webpage.