Archive for Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Photo by John F. Russell
Traffic backs up on 13th Street between the James Brown Soul Center of the Universe Bridge and Lincoln Avenue on Monday morning. Construction officials said they will implement left-turn lanes for eastbound Lincoln Avenue traffic at 12th and Third streets to help with traffic flow.
Turn lanes added to speed downtown Steamboat traffic
Lincoln Avenue construction project is 2.5 weeks behind schedule, CDOT spokeswoman says
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A long line of commuters make its way through downtown Steamboat Springs on Monday morning as construction crews continue to make progress on the Lincoln Avenue paving project.
Traffic is reflected in the rear-view mirror of a car Monday morning, as a construction worker who is part of the Lincoln Avenue paving project walks by. Commuters were greeted by heavy traffic Monday morning as crews continue to make progress on the paving effort in downtown Steamboat Springs.
Paving information
Jody Patten, project information manager for Scott Contracting, is providing several sources of information about the U.S. Highway 40 construction project. For daily updates from the project information hot line, call 970-819-7008. To sign up for e-mail updates on the project, visit www.coloradodot.info and click on the “Sign up for E-mail and Wireless Alerts” link in the upper right corner. Enter an e-mail address, select the appropriate updates and click “Submit.”
Steamboat Springs — The intersections where Lincoln Avenue meets Third and 12th streets will have designated left-turn lanes for eastbound traffic after construction work resulted in significant backups in both directions Monday.
Colorado Department of Transportation spokeswoman Nancy Shanks said workers realized the need for the turn lanes because eastbound traffic repeatedly was stopped as drivers attempted to turn left to access Oak Street and elsewhere in Old Town.
If completed in time, today also will be the first day the 12th Street intersection will be open since construction began. Even so, drivers coming from the north side of 12th Street will not be allowed to turn left onto Lincoln Avenue.
Left turns also will be prohibited from eastbound Lincoln Avenue onto Fifth Street as part of an effort to keep traffic moving.
Westbound traffic on Lincoln Avenue can turn left to access Yampa Street only at Fifth, Seventh and 12th streets, according to a project update.
Shanks said the construction project with Scott Contracting is 2 1/2 weeks behind schedule. She said the likely reason is the weather. Work continued during the weekend in anticipation of bad weather for the remainder of this week.
“The weather, of course, has been awful; it has slowed them, but they’re doing everything they can,” she said.
She said crews are trying to manage their time to work 40 hours in a week no matter what the weather by working overtime on nice days and weekends. Even so, Shanks said the construction crews probably will end up working up until the June 30 deadline. She said they will leave the streets drivable at that time, and then will resume work on Sept. 1.
“There are always weather days in every project, but for goodness sakes, we’re in May here,” Shanks said Monday, referring to the spring snow that has fallen in Steamboat during the past two weeks.
All downtown U.S. 40 work must be completed by Nov. 12 if Scott Contracting is to avoid a daily fine.
Comments
callguinness (anonymous) says...
“There are always weather days in every project, but for goodness sakes, we’re in May here,” Shanks said Monday, referring to the spring snow that has fallen in Steamboat during the past two weeks.
Obviously you have never spent any time in Steamboat in April/May. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it has been rather typical spring here in Steamboat.
2009
http://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/20...
http://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/20...
2008
http://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/20...
2005
http://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/20...
For goodness sakes its a typical spring in Steamboat, the only people who are surprised are the ones that counted on the weather.
May 11, 2010 at 3:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
1999 (anonymous) says...
I agree...this is trypical weather.they should have allowed for it and expected it.
May 11, 2010 at 6:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Sid (Amy Harris) says...
Rain and the snow in spring? SHOCK!!
May 11, 2010 at 6:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
flower (anonymous) says...
If you want to read about how well concrete holds up read the article today about the new skate park.
May 11, 2010 at 8 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
fredduckels (Fred Duckels) says...
We need a monument on the court house lawn to all those that prevented planning on an alternate route. Do you think the future will be free from traffic interruptions and increased volume? Folks on the west side have been dealing with this problem for years, but this area is not on any priority list. What we see here is a look into the future if we continue to bury our heads.
May 11, 2010 at 8:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
greenwash (anonymous) says...
5-20 min to get through town is hardly an issue.Whats the hurry? This is SB for gods sake.
I find it interesting that all the material (asphalt,concrete ,contaminated soils, etc. is being dumped and buried (Not Recycled) in a hole in a flood plain along the Yampa River?
May 11, 2010 at 8:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
1999 (anonymous) says...
my bike ride to town from west end took 15 mins to and 15 back.
I burned 325 calories....
hit my anerobic heart rate 3 times.....
rode 15 mins total at my threashold pace...
and smiled the whole time.
Fred...you may want to tear up Howelson hill but many don't. It is far more valuble to us as a commuity than just a faster way to and from the rat race.
we need to encourage and promote alternatives to driving.
May 11, 2010 at 9:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blue_spruce (anonymous) says...
“The weather, of course, has been awful; it has slowed them..."
Springtime in the Rockies...nice planning!?!
May 11, 2010 at 12:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
1999 (anonymous) says...
“There are always weather days in every project, but for goodness sakes, we’re in May here,” Shanks said Monday, referring to the spring snow that has fallen in Steamboat during the past two weeks
yeah....It's never snowed in May
EXCEPT EVERY YEAR FOR THE PAST 100 HUNDREDS YEARS OR SO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 11, 2010 at 12:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
exduffer (anonymous) says...
Leave it the way it is now. Turn it into BMX, freeride,mud bog, monster truck, trials course and start scheduling the events NOW! The $75K the city just gave the chamber should do the trick.
May 11, 2010 at 3:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
fredduckels (Fred Duckels) says...
99,
Seems like you have a way to survive economically that does not depend on a good transportation system. It takes planning to have a viable community and much depends on our roads, which you may not have realized. Maybe we should stop gravel pits too as you probably don't see the need here. Over a period of time we would be choking in dust and only able to move when the roads were dry. I like that idea for the shortsighted. I'm talking about an alternate route, not Howelsen, so maybe emergency services could function, that should interest even you. Your idealism has many unintended consequences and it would be wise to consult beyond your personal horizon.
May 11, 2010 at 3:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
1999 (anonymous) says...
fred...don't be an idiot.
you have in the past talked about and championed a bypass thru Howelson.
My opinion is that we need to work on alternative transportation.
the wider we make the roads the more cars we accommodate
people CAN USE OTHER TRANSPORTATION!!!
jeez...it's been proven that people can survive WITHOUT CARS> CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT!!!! NO CAR!!!! or golly...people can actually drive their car less.
it freaking cracks me up to see the line of cars with one person in them sitting in a line in traffic while I zoom by on my bike.they are very frustrated and angry.
and since YOU are in the xcavating business...you are hardly an unbiased opinion.
think OUTSIDE of the box Fred.
we all know how you make a living. maybe start thinking about standard of living instead of income.
May 11, 2010 at 4:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Scott_Wedel (Scott Wedel) says...
I'd take away a different lesson from the downtown construction - that it takes reducing capacity by about two thirds of normal to have real problems. And maybe the 13th Street bottleneck can be largely solved by routing much of the traffic over the Stock bridge. And so if 40/129 intersection can be addressed (presumably 4 lanes and lights synchronized with downtown) then our traffic situation is not that bad.
A true bypass around downtown will never be built. The scenic river, Howelson Hill, etc is not going to be sacrificed for a quicker commute. At some point Oak St may be changed to a one way street with three lanes and Lincoln would be 3 lanes one direction and one lane purely for shopping/parking access (so lights synchronized for east and west is a stop sign at every intersection). But that is years away.
May 11, 2010 at 9:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mavis (anonymous) says...
exduffer-- that is great-- but for the freeride event you are gong to have to require all of the "valley cars" to get lift kits so they can clear the mud bogs....... but it's Steamboat and I am sure the government will create a program to help them with this cost.
May 11, 2010 at 9:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
weststmbtres (anonymous) says...
I don't understand your comment Scott,
The bottleneck happens between 12th and 13th street on US 40 right in front of the library. How would routing traffic over the Stock Bridge help that?
May 12, 2010 at 8:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JohnFielding (anonymous) says...
.
1999
Please give credit where it is due. The Emerald Mountain Parkway proposal is mine. Fred is much more practical than that, and was among the first to point out some of the problems with that idea.
.
May 12, 2010 at 9:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Scott_Wedel (Scott Wedel) says...
Weststmbtres,
They could permanently remove the left turn from 13th onto Lincoln to route traffic over the Stock bridge. That would remove the need for a stoplight for westbound traffic.
May 12, 2010 at 10:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
fredduckels (Fred Duckels) says...
99,
Your anonymity masks your agenda, it is difficult to argue with strong ideas without knowing where you are coming from. I suspect Sesame Street with a lollipop in your mouth.
May 12, 2010 at 2:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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