Jeffco Forming Public Highway
Authority with Broomfield and Arvada

A complete beltway around the Denver metro area moved one step closer to reality May 6 when the Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted to form the Jefferson Parkway Public Highway Authority with the City of Arvada and the City & County of Broomfield.

A public highway authority, comprised of the three governments, is being formed with the goal of constructing the last remaining missing piece of the metropolitan beltway, closing the gap between Highway 128 in Broomfield and Highway 93 at approximately 58 th Avenue north of Golden.

Federal and state transportation funding has been greatly reduced in the last decade and is expected to remain so for the foreseeable future. Because of this, private financing through a toll road has been determined to be the only feasible means of completing this crucial missing link.

Public highway authorities are authorized by the state for the purpose of financing, constructing, operating and maintaining transportation improvements that cannot be undertaken by a single local government because of cost or location. The governments contributed $100,000 each as initial startup funding that can be reimbursed by the public highway authority.

A smooth-flowing transportation network that allows motorists to get where they're going with minimum time and inconvenience is a goal of the Board of County Commissioners. It saves time and stress for motorists and residents, improves the environment and protects neighborhoods by keeping traffic off neighborhood streets that weren't designed to handle that many vehicles. A good transportation network also attracts new primary businesses, which provide jobs and a sustainable tax base for schools, local governments and open space.

A beltway around metropolitan Denver has been in regional transportation plans for 40 years and is only 80 percent complete. Denver is the only major American city encircled by only three-quarters of a beltway.

Commissioner Kathy Hartman, chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, spoke to the need to relieve traffic in northwest Jefferson County and the dangers that now exist along Highway 93, particularly in bad weather. "Public safety is imperative," she said, adding that the board's action simply establishes an authority, which can then go to the financial market and seek investors interested in building and operating a toll road. "Formation of the authority enables us to explore the possibilities. If there are no takers in the market, this won't happen."

Commissioner Kevin McCasky explained that motorists will only pay tolls on a part of the new roadway. The approximately six miles through Golden and three miles in Broomfield will remain a "free" road. The portion through Golden would be built similar to the stretch of Highway 6 that now exists from the Jeffco government center to 19 th Street. This portion will embrace elements of the Muller Study, which was commissioned by the City of Golden, with speed limits of 45 mph, noise mitigation and few stoplights; and would reconnect neighborhoods now cut by Highway 93 and U.S. 6.

Commissioner Jim Congrove said, "Many millions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted over the years on studying this project. It's a sad commentary on those of us responsible for infrastructure and transportation and should have been done decades ago. I hope we can all sit at the table and find out what will work best for the beltway and the City of Golden and find the funds to get this completed. The cost of construction is not going to go down."

Each of the three governments will have a representative on the authority board. Commissioner Kevin McCasky was appointed as the county's voting member and Commissioner Kathy Hartman as alternate for the year 2008.