RFTA approves partial funding for 27th Street Underpass
Chelsea Self/Post Independent
A project slated to create a safer pedestrian path across Colorado Highway 82 came one step closer to being funded Thursday, following a Roaring Fork Transit Authority meeting.
The RFTA board unanimously approved a resolution to accept $1 million in grant funding from the Colorado State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, which provided the money through the American Rescue Plan Act. To receive the grant, RFTA is required to provide $250,000 in match funding, according to RFTA documents.
Born out of partnership between RFTA, the Colorado Department of Transportation and Glenwood Springs, the project includes building a tunnel under Highway 82 at the 27th Street intersection to provide pedestrian access to the RFTA transit station on the east side of the highway.
In 2018, a bicyclist was killed at the intersection while crossing the highway, and CDOT reported multiple non-lethal accidents between vehicles and pedestrians at the crossing since 2015.
“The 27th Street Underpass project is a critical safety project for our community,” City Manager Debra Figueroa said. “I am excited to partner with RFTA and CDOT to move this forward, and we will do our best to keep the community informed about the project milestones.”
Figueroa said the project will cause traffic disruptions as it gets underway and asked travelers to be patient with construction crews as they work to make Glenwood Springs a safer community for pedestrians.
City Engineer Terri Partch said the city budgeted $750,000 to contribute to the project, which is estimated to cost about $10 million. Crews could break ground on the underpass in spring, she added.
“This project will do two things: make transit use safer, and make it easier to catch a bus in South Glenwood,” Partch said.
As a consent agenda item, the RFTA board did not discuss the grant. Board Chair Art Riddile motioned approval of the consent agenda, and Board Member Greg Poschman seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
Reporter Ike Fredregill can be reached at 970-384-9154 or by email at ifredregill@postindependent.com.
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