The Highway 9 widening project is expected to wrap up this week, a few weeks later than previously expected.
Crews will replace a section of curb on the road and put some additional striping on the bike path at Coyne Valley before the job is concluded.
“The project is essentially finished with a few minor punch list items left to do,” said Bob Smith, project engineer with the Colorado Department of Transportation.
In June 2009 crews began construction to widen a one-and-a-half-mile segment of Highway 9 between Frisco and Breckenridge to four lanes. Though the project was originally scheduled to be completed in November, later estimates suggested the work might be done by late September.
Smith said utility delays in moving phone lines to construct a sound wall at Fairview Boulevard slowed the project down.
“We appreciate the public's bearing with us while we were doing this, we know there were some delays,” Smith said.
The speed limit along the wider sections of highway was set at 45 miles per hour. Smith said there are no plans to increase it. What is up with that? We make it a 4-lane divided highway and decrease the speed limit?
The recpath was also moved back from the highway and a bridge was put in over the Blue River north of Valley Brook as part of the $9.25 million stimulus-funded project.
Plans are under way to continue widening the highway between Tiger Road and the Agape Outpost Chapel, but the project will not move forward until additional funding becomes available.
“It's all designed, the right of way is purchased, right now there's just no funding for it,” Smith said.
