The next improvement project on Lowell Boulevard in Westminster will continue the work done at 72 nd Avenue to raise the curb height on both sides of the street between West 77 th Avenue and U.S. 36 and realign Turnpike Drive at the intersection of Lowell and Turnpike and 78 th Ave.
The contract was awarded at the Aug. 10 Westminster City Council meeting to New Design Construction Company, which came in with the low bid of $767,305. The city engineer's original estimate of the cost of the project was slightly more than $1 million.
According to city manager J. Brent McFall's memo to city council on the subject, New Design Construction satisfactorily completed a project for the city in 2006.
Westminster engineer Steve Baumann said work would begin the end of August.
Part of the Lowell Boulevard project to begin soon will include the creation of a small park at the crossroads of Lowell and Turnpike where the road will be realigned. Baumann said the intersection was oddly laid out, but the realignment would include a small plaza with public art.
The current alignment has three streets entering the intersection.
"It's not a good situation. It presents a dilemma for three drivers who show up there at the same time to go in different directions," he said.
The solution, he said would be to realign Turnpike on the west side so it lines up with Turnpike on the east side of Lowell, with most of the work occurring on the west side.
Resident Terry Greiser, a native of Westminster, lives a block away from the realignment site on the 7700 block of Lowell. He said the city was conscientious about notifying residents, but he regretted losing some parking space.
"I'm just hoping we don't have water problems. Instead of having two streets on this side and one on the other, there will be two streets. There aren't that many accidents at the intersection, but it's an easy place to have an accident if one person isn't paying attention. They don't want this to be a thoroughfare, but it is a fire road, " Greiser said.
He anticipated gaining some extra space in his driveway entrance.
Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:25:11
There is some urgency to complete the project by the first quarter of 2010, since Lowell and Turnpike will carry extra traffic when 80 th Avenue is closed to replace the bridge over U.S. 36. The latter is a Colorado Department of Transportation project.
Baumann said, "We have a typical preferred cross section for the street improvements. The streets will be slightly narrower than they are now, but the sidewalks will be wider. What we are trying to do is improve the pedestrian conditions there. In the spring we will plant trees and continue the decorative lighting we have already started
Baumann said residents would be impacted by the construction.
"We have managed to do two phases before this in previous. Residents have been understanding, but there will be some inconveniences," he said.
Baumann said, "I think the residents understand what's coming. It's part of Westminster's effort to redevelop the south Westminster area. Eventually the streetscape enhancements, trees, lighting will provide pedestrian improvements. It will be much easier to be a pedestrian in the neighborhood."
Baumann said in the spring the city planned to come back in and landscape to finish it off.
During construction he said Lowell Boulevard would remain in service, but would often be constrained to allow only alternating traffic in a single lane.
Questions, call Baumann at 303-658-2122 or email
sbaumann@cityofwestminster.us.