CDOT implementing new communication system improvements for CO119 Canyon project

June 14, 2019

BOULDER – The Colorado Department of Transportation is implementing new public communication systems in order to best serve the Boulder and Nederland communities near the Colorado Highway 119 Boulder Roadway Improvements Project.

As part of CDOT’s Whole System – Whole Safety initiative, the project team has developed these communication improvements in an effort to keep the community informed and safe while navigating the work zone.

TEXT ALERTS

To receive text alerts prior to full closures and other major traffic impacts on CO 119, text CO119 to 21000.

EMAIL

To contact the project team via email, please use [email protected]. A member of the communications team will respond as soon as possible.

PHONE

Contact the project team directly at (720) 500-9912. Calls will be addressed as soon as possible.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Construction crews are making repairs to a 15-mile stretch of CO 119 between Boulder and Nederland, which was damaged during flooding in 2013. The project began in March 2019 and is scheduled for completion in early 2021.

The project includes significant repairs of the highway, such as resurfacing 13 miles of highway and entirely replacing two miles of highway, building concrete islands to improve the roundabout in Nederland, replacing multiple pipes conveying stormwater drainage under the highway, scaling rock in selected areas to reduce rockfalls on the highway, and replacing 29,000 linear feet of concrete or metal guardrail. The project, in partnership with Boulder County, will also extend and reinforce sections of the Boulder Canyon Trail. The 10-foot-wide, multi-use trail will be extended from Four Mile Canyon to Chapman Drive, adding two new bike-friendly tunnels under the highway and approximately 3,500 feet of length to the trail.

STAYING CONNECTED

The closures and other impacts to CO 119 are announced weekly. There are several ways to get updates on the project:

  • An email is sent as a traffic advisory when the roadway impacts change on a week-to-week basis. To subscribe to these emails, please email the public information team at [email protected].

  • Subscribe to the free texting service by texting CO119 to the number 21000. This service will primarily be used to communicate upcoming closures on the highway. 

  • The project number (720-500-9912) has an outgoing message that is updated weekly with updates, a summary of impacts to the highway and trail, and estimated delay times through the canyon.

  • The CDOT project web page will be updated with the latest traffic advisory as they are distributed. There are several maps of the project on this page. You can see more maps in the Telephone Town Hall supporting documents.

  • CDOT also maintains road closure updates on CoTrip.org, an interactive map on the CDOT system.

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!

WHOLE SYSTEM. WHOLE SAFETY.

To heighten safety awareness, CDOT recently announced its Whole System — Whole Safety initiative. This project takes a systematic statewide approach to safety combining the benefits of CDOT’s programs that address driving behavior, our built environment and the organization's operations. The goal is to improve the safety of Colorado's transportation network by reducing the rate and severity of crashes and improving safety conditions for those traveling by all transportation modes. The program has one simple mission: to get everyone home safely.

ABOUT CDOT

CDOT has approximately 3,000 employees at its Denver headquarters and in regional offices throughout Colorado, and manages more than 23,000 lane miles of highway and 3,429 bridges. CDOT also manages grant partnerships with a range of other agencies including metropolitan planning organizations, local governments, and airports, and administers Bustang, the state-owned and operated interregional express service. Gov. Jared Polis has charged CDOT to further build on the state's intermodal mobility options.