not sure where to put this, so it goes here....
I-70 corridor meetings beginning
By PETER MARCUS - August 5, 2007
A panel of stakeholders interested in relieving congestion along the Interstate 70 west corridor will begin meetings this week to come up with a 50-year solution for the highway.
The Colorado Department of Transportation regional transportation director for the corridor said he is optimistic that the panel of stakeholders will have a final environmental impact study plan to present to the public within a year and a half. There currently exists a preliminary environmental impact study that planners are using as a starting point.
“We’re pretty clear that the solution to meet that demand has to be a multi-modal approach of both highway widening and some kind of elevated fixed guideway train or monorail,” said Jeff Kullman, region transportation director for CDOT.
The panel, comprised of community groups across the corridor, government representatives from Clear Creek and Summit counties, environmental advocacy groups and motor clubs, to name a few, are charged with developing a universal plan to alleviate congestion on the highway.
Costly congestion
The process was given a jump start in April when a report was released by a Littleton-based research group indicating that congestion along I-70 between Denver and Grand Junction costs taxpayers nearly $1 billion each year. The study said Colorado loses $839 million each year from congestion on the highway and focused on tourism, residents, businesses and government.
While there is a general consensus amongst stakeholders that the solution involves both highway widening and a public transit system, the debate surrounds how to go about implementing those solutions.
“The challenge is paving. How do we go about where to pave? That’s going to be the real crux of what happens during the collaborative process,” explained Kullman. “Do we build the highway first or the fixed guideway, or a combination thereof?”
The panel is also charged with looking into the future and analyzing population growth not only in the mountains, but also in the Denver metro area. The goal is to come up with a plan that goes beyond the original 20-year solution and instead develop a solution for 50 years worth of growth.
The corridor saw 1.2 million vehicles passing through the Eisenhower Tunnel in July, the equivalent of 40,000 vehicles per day, Kullman said. Traffic is up 6 percent on the corridor with 8 percent being truck traffic.
Difficult fix
Dealing, however, with 300 inches of snow per year and points that go as far up as 11,000 feet, Kullman said no matter what the solution, implementation is going to be difficult.
“I-70 is the most challenging highway in the State of Colorado and even beyond that because of extreme traffic volumes,” he said.
Meanwhile, improvements to two projects are expected to get started shortly, with planning to expand the “Twin Tunnels” just east of Idaho Springs beginning as soon as September or October, Kullman said.
CDOT is waiting for final approval to turn the “Twin Tunnels” into six lanes instead of the two that exist there now.
The other project that will get attention sooner than later is at Empire Junction on I-70 near where U.S. Highway 40 heads over the Berthoud Pass, Kullman said.
CDOT has already received permission to establish a preliminary site plan to determine how to use the space there to develop multi-modal transit options that involve both highway and trains.
Privatize the road
Some infrastructure analysts, including researchers with the conservative think tank The Independence Institute, have recommended that planners privatize the highway system with a toll system.
Dennis Polhill, senior fellow of public infrastructure for the Independence Institute, is calling for establishing a system similar to high-occupancy toll lanes that were installed along Interstate 25 from U.S. Highway 36 into downtown Denver.
The Express Lanes allow solo drivers to utilize lanes that were previously designated only for carpool vehicles. A toll, that varies based on time of day, is charged to solo drivers.
Polhill said if a similar system were established along the I-70 corridor from Denver to Grand Junction, travelers would plan their trips based around peak hours. Some people might not want to pay higher toll fees during peak hours and so they would delay their trip to avoid those fees.
Others might value time more than money and feel comfortable paying the higher tolls during peak hours, Polhill concluded.
Space problem
Kullman said the panel of stakeholders is not currently pursuing the toll lanes because it would take additional space that he said is limited by steep canyons and other mountain terrain.
“It would be a challenge. I’m not going to say that it’s not going to happen, but there’s definitely a space challenge,” he said, adding that such a system would be most practical at the Eisenhower Tunnel.
In the meantime, Kullman is pleased with the direction the planning process is headed in.
“I see a whole lot of activity and interest and cooperative spirit by everyone along the corridor,” he said. “I’m cautiously optimistic that all the things are in place and that we can get through this collaborative process.”
To become involved in the planning process for the I-70 mountain corridor, visit
www.i70mtncorridor.com, or call 303-365-7041.