The South Midland Reconstruction Project will have a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, December 11, 2020 at Noon. Construction, traffic impacts and community meetings begin next week.
EVENT AND PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT
December 10, 2020
Groundbreaking marks milestone for South Midland Reconstruction Project
Construction, traffic impacts and community meetings begin next week
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, CO – The City of Glenwood Springs announces the beginning of construction for the South Midland Reconstruction project. The project team will hold an official groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, December 11, 2020 at 12 p.m. The ceremony will be held outside at the Four Mile Rd. and Midland Ave. intersection, the future home to a new roundabout serving the area. Due to coronavirus safety precautions, the in-person event will require social distancing and masks, but the ceremony will be recorded and shared via the City of Glenwood Springs social media channels.
“The reconstruction of the roadway and all the critically needed safety improvements in the corridor are of significant importance to our community,” said City of Glenwood Springs Mayor Johnathan Godes. “The groundbreaking ceremony will give us a chance to thank our funding partners, stakeholders and local neighbors for their commitment to the planning process and to acknowledge the long road ahead to completion of the 18-month project.”
Construction activities begin December 14
Gould Construction was awarded the $13.2 million construction project and will begin with project mobilization, necessary tree removal and land surveying along South Midland Ave. on Monday, Dec. 14, 2020. To minimize impacts to the travelling public regular, ongoing alternating single-lane closures are permitted; Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays between 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Wednesdays between 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Weekdays before 7 a.m. and after 6 p.m.; Weekends anytime as approved by the City and during peak times with prior City approval.
“The project team has dedicated special attention to minimizing traffic impacts, but general advice is to prepare for travel delays and lane closures along Midland Ave.,” said Hannah Klausman, City of Glenwood Springs Public Information Officer. “Construction crews will continue working throughout the winter, but construction activities are weather dependent.”
Project updates and alerts will be shared regularly through email, text and social media updates. All are encouraged to sign up for South Midland news and traffic alerts by contacting project information (southmidlandproject@gmail.com or 970-618-5379) or by visiting www.cogs.us/notifyme. The 18-month project is slated to be complete in summer 2022.
Keeping South Midland Moving
The City of Glenwood Springs would like to share gratitude to all of the partner organizations and to the community for contributions that make this critical project possible. Project funding includes a $7 million Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (which is administered by the Colorado Department of Transportation), a $151,750 grant from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), and an $850,000 contribution from Garfield County. In addition to partner funds, the City of Glenwood Springs has allocated approximately $5.2 million in A&I Funds which serve to build essential projects that will improve safety, traffic congestion and make our community an even better place to live.
Approximately one-third of Glenwood Springs residents use the South Midland corridor and currently the Midland roadway is prone to potholes, intersections have poor site lines, the corridor experiences regular rockfall events, there are gaps in pedestrian infrastructure and traffic volumes are on the rise. Through this project, the City will completely reconstruct South Midland Avenue, replace and upgrade the waterline that serves all South Glenwood Springs, add broadband infrastructure, improve pedestrian connections and address safety issues at residential and business access points at four intersections along Midland Avenue.
“The South Midland Reconstruction Project will improve access to emergency services, shopping and dining, and Sopris Elementary School for the approximately 3,400 residents of the City and County who use the road daily,” said City Manager Debra Figueroa. “The project team is calling the project, Keep South Midland Moving because that is what the project is all about – making important investments in our infrastructure to serve our community which depends on this corridor. This is a priority project because we know how critical it is to keep South Midland moving.”
South Midland Community Communications Coalition (CCC)
The project team is looking for additional members of the community to join a community stakeholder group that will work closely with the project team to share information and collect feedback. The first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at 5 p.m. Register to participate by emailing southmidlandproject@gmail.com.
Black Hills Energy Gas Line Improvements
In coordination with the City of Glenwood Springs’ “Keep South Midland Moving” project, Black Hills Energy will be replacing a natural gas pipeline along Midland Avenue. In addition to adjusting the placement of the pipeline to accommodate improvements to the road, the new pipeline will replace vintage pipe with new materials and help plan for the future of Glenwood Springs by increasing the carrying capacity. Learn more at www.blackhillsenergy.com/midland-avenue.
Project Information and Updates
All traffic impacts, travel advisories, and construction updates will be announced via City of Glenwood Springs NotifyMe for South Midland in both English and Spanish. Sign up to receive project email or text alerts at cogs.us/NotifyMe or contact the project information team. Project information will also be posted on the City’s webpage: cogs.us/SouthMidland.
Project Phone (call or text): 970-618-5379
Project Email: southmidlandproject@gmail.com
Project Webpage: cogs.us/SouthMidland
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