Temporary closures of CO 52 and South Fordham Street median at CO 119 scheduled for early June

Travel Advisory

Boulder County - Travelers should plan for two temporary closures in early June along the Colorado Highway 119/Diagonal Highway corridor as construction continues on the CO 119 Safety, Mobility and Bikeway Improvements project.

CO 52 Closure

CO 52 will be fully closed to all traffic between CO 119/Diagonal Highway and 71st Street beginning at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3, through 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 6.

This closure is required to connect CO 52 to the realigned CO 119, which will improve mobility in the intersection and along the corridor.

During the closure, motorists will be directed to follow signed detour routes. There will not be a separate signed detour for cyclists. Cyclists are strongly encouraged to use an alternate route while the closure is in place. The CO 119 construction project team has worked diligently to safely accommodate all modes during construction. However, some construction activities do not lend itself to providing preferred standards for vulnerable road users on the corridor. We ask that everyone enters the workzone with extra caution, care and awareness. Slow down, follow marked signage and always be scanning for vulnerable road users. CDOT also requests that if your trip can be made without entering the workzone, we strongly encourage choosing that alternative route.

Detour:

• For alternate access, travelers should use US 287 (via Ken Pratt Boulevard in Longmont or Colorado Highway 7 in Boulder). Please refer to the map below showing the detour route and full closure area on CO 52.
  CO 119 Safety Mobility and Bikeway Project CO 52 Closure at CO 119 to 71st Street

South Fordham Street Closure

Beginning at 7 a.m. on Monday, June 15, through 5 p.m. on Friday, June 19, the South Fordham Street median between northbound and southbound CO 119/Diagonal Highway will be temporarily closed to all modes of transportation for approximately one week. This closure will allow crews to remove asphalt and install a raised crossing, improving safety for people traveling through the corridor.

Detour:

• Southbound CO 119 travelers will continue past South Fordham Street, turn left onto 83rd Street, then turn left to continue onto northbound CO 119.
• Northbound CO 119 travelers will continue past South Fordham Street, turn left onto Hover Street, turn left onto Clover Basin Road, then turn left to access South Fordham Street.
• There will not be a separate signed detour for cyclists. Cyclists are encouraged to use an alternate route while the closure is in place.

To minimize impacts to travelers, the project team decided to fully close each area temporarily. The alternative would be continuously shifting barriers and traffic flow around the work for several weeks, causing longer disruption.

Work schedules are subject to change and can vary based on conditions. 

What is the CO 119 Safety, Mobility and Bikeway Improvements project?

By the year 2040, the Diagonal Highway between Boulder and Longmont is expected to see a 25% increase in vehicular traffic. Increased traffic can result in more congestion, delays, tailpipe emissions and, potentially, more crashes.

This project is delivering safety, mobility and bikeway improvements to enhance safety for all modes and make transit travel faster and more reliable. The project is designed to integrate with other active multimodal projects on the corridor to ensure community members can safely and reliably travel throughout the corridor using their preferred mode(s) of transportation.

This project will:

• Improve safety throughout the corridor
• Maximize the number of people able to move through the corridor
• Maximize intersection operational efficiency
• Improve transit travel times and increase ridership
• Maximize corridor-wide operational efficiency
• Increase opportunities for bicycle commuting and connectivity to the bicycle and pedestrian network

Specific corridor improvements include:

• New signage, striping and improved signal timing at all pedestrian crossings at signalized intersections
• Signal timing adjustments at key intersections (Jay Road, 63rd Street, CO 52, Niwot Road and Airport Road)
• Adding a commuter bikeway and several local connections between northbound and southbound CO 119, and underpasses or overpasses at major intersections for uninterrupted crossing
• Physically reconfiguring the CO 52 intersection to improve safety and to accommodate new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stations and the Diagonal Bikeway between the northbound and southbound travel lanes
• Changing access at Airport Road and CO 119 to reduce crashes and improve safety and traffic flow

During construction, CO 119/Diagonal Highway will largely remain configured as it currently operates, with various lane shifts and closures. Additional information will be provided prior to any major closures or detour routes throughout the project duration. In addition, lane and shoulder widths will be minimized. The speed limit will be reduced. Please pay attention and follow posted speed limits. Kraemer North America is the general contractor for this project.

CO 119 Safety, Mobility and Bikeway Improvements Project Contact Information

• Project phone line - 720-378-8083
• Project email - [email protected]
• Project website - codot.gov/projects/co119-mobility
• Sign up for weekly project updates on the project website by following these five simple steps:
  • Visit the project website.
  • Click on the "Stay Informed" box on the right side of the page.
  • From there, scroll to the "Construction Updates & News Releases" section and select "Subscribe to Construction Updates."
  • Enter your email address, then select "Northeast Colorado" as the region, check "Front Range I-25 Corridor" and "CO 119 Safety & Mobility Improvements."
  • Scroll to the bottom and hit submit.

Know Before You Go

Travelers are urged to "know before you go." Gather information about weather forecasts and anticipated travel impacts and current road conditions prior to hitting the road. CDOT resources include:

• Road conditions and travel information: COtrip.org
• Download the COtrip Planner app: bit.ly/COtripapp
• Sign up for project or travel alerts: bit.ly/COnewsalerts
• Check scheduled construction lane closures: bit.ly/laneclosures
• Connect with @ColoradoDOT on social media: X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

Remember: Slow For The Cone Zone

The following tips are to help you stay safe while traveling through maintenance and construction work zones.

• Do not speed in work zones. Obey the posted speed limits.
• Stay Alert! Expect the unexpected.
• Watch for workers. Drive with caution.
• Don't change lanes unnecessarily.
• Avoid using mobile devices such as phones while driving in work zones.
• Turn on headlights so that workers and other drivers can see you.
• Be especially alert at night while driving in work zones.
• Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.
• Allow ample space between you and the car in front of you.
• Anticipate lane shifts and merge when directed to do so.
• Be patient!

Download the COtrip App!

The new free COtrip Planner mobile app was designed to meet the growing trend of information on mobile and tablet devices for the traveling public. The COtrip Planner app provides statewide, real-time traffic information, and works on mobile devices that operate on the iOS and Android platforms. Visit the Google Play Store (Android devices) or the Apple Store (iOS devices) to download!