Posted for Nancy Yearout
RE/MAX Properties of the Summit, Breckenridge, Colorado
nyearout@colorado.net
http://www.realestate-breckenridge.net
#Breckenridge, Colorado
Summit County officials are moving forward with an extension of the recpath
network to Copper Mountain's far-east lot even though it will cost about
$375,000 more than originally budgeted.
The project includes the
construction of a 12-foot-wide asphalt recpath and 2-foot soft shoulders to
connect the Highway 91/Copper Road intersection and Hwy. 91 south of Copper
Mountain's parking areas. The trail extension will cover roughly 7,200 feet.
County representatives said the benefits of the recpath project outweigh
the unexpected costs.
“The section behind the Conoco at Copper behind the
far-east lot is really important because it was a section where people had to
ride on frontage road. It wasn't the normal, comfortable experience you have
while on the recpath,” said assistant county manager Thad Noll.
“This
will be the section that eliminates the frontage road. It will run across from
the river and will be an absolutely different experience,” he said.
This
extension is also part of a larger vision to connect the recpath network up the
pass near Climax Mine and into Lake County.
Officials dipped into the
county's Open Space and Trails funds to make up for unexpected costs. Noll said
county employees will also work with the contractor to come up with ideas to
lower costs along the way.
“There are a lot of wetlands and a river, so
it's been a difficult area to get an extension established,” said County
Commissioner Karn Stiegelmeier.
When constructing the original budget,
county officials said they underestimated the difficulty of getting equipment to
the site.
“We may cut down our mobilization costs if we pay a little
more to make the bridge more heavy duty,” Noll said.
This would allow
the paver and other equipment to cross the bridge and obtain easier access to
the construction site, he added.
A rise in the builders economy is also
making contractor bids more competitve than in the past few years, county
officials said.
“For a while now, because the economy has been in a
hole, we have had remarkably low bids on a number of maintenance projects, and
we've been able to push forward on trail and maintenance projects on a lower
budget,” Stiegelmeier said. “Now the economy is coming back to the degree that
there is more work to choose from, and they aren't willing to bid as low as they
were before.”
Summit received seven bids on the project, so those
involved with the project felt confident they were getting fair and accurate
offers on the recpath extension.
The original budget for the extension
was $970,000. The engineer's final estimate for the project came in at
$1,114,902. The lowest of seven bids came from local contractor Columbine Hills
Concrete at $1,335,543.65.
“They do amazing work and we are thrilled
they won the bid,” Noll said.
The county has funding partners
contributing to the recpath extension. The Colorado Department of Transportation
is providing $500,000 toward the project. Copper Mountain is offering $250,000
and the Climax Community Investment Fund is adding another
$95,000.
Representatives say they didn't hesitate to move forward with
the more costly recpath construction because the network of paved trails has
come to be recognized as more than just a transportation corridor. Locals and
tourists of all ages and fitness levels use the recpaths as a way to get
outside, exercise and enjoy the landscape.
“It has slowly evolved and
slowly been appreciated, but a this point we understand that people are coming
from all over because we have this great network,” Stiegelmeier said.
Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.
