Temporary closure of Oxford Road median between northbound and southbound CO 119/Diagonal Highway starting April 9
Travel Advisory
Boulder County — As part of the CO 119 Safety, Mobility and Bikeway Improvements Project, the Oxford Road median between northbound and southbound Colorado Highway 119/Diagonal Highway will be closed to all modes of transportation beginning at 7 a.m. on Thursday, April 9.
This temporary closure will last approximately one month and is required for crews to construct a raised bikeway crossing and widen the road to extend the deceleration lanes.
During this time, access to northbound and southbound CO 119 through the Oxford Road median will be prohibited. Local access will be maintained for property owners near this work.
Detour to access Oxford Road:
- Westbound detour: Motorists will pass Oxford Road and continue northbound on CO 119, turn left onto the Airport Road median, then turn left onto southbound CO 119 and turn right to access Oxford Road.
- In mid-April, the Airport Road median will be fully closed for one day. During this closure, travelers should use the South Fordham Street median instead. The eastbound detour route will remain unchanged.
- Eastbound motorist and cyclist detour: Travelers will turn right onto southbound CO 119/Diagonal Highway, turn left onto the Niwot Road median and turn left to access northbound CO 119.
To complete construction work at the Oxford Road median with minimal impacts to travelers, the project team decided to close the median entirely for approximately one month. The alternative would be continuously shifting barriers and traffic flow around the operations for multiple months, extending the duration of the overall impacts to the Oxford Road and CO 119 intersection for all roadway users.
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.
The CO 119 Safety, Mobility and Bikeway Project is constructing safety, mobility and bikeway improvements to make traveling through the corridor safer for all modes and 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 in the whole 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, Colorado Highway 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 stations and the Diagonal Bikeway between the northbound and southbound travel lanes
- Changing access at Airport Road and CO 119 to reduce crashes and to 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 notice 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 limit signs. Kraemer North America is the General Contractor for this project.
- 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 simple steps:
- Visit subscription.cotrip.org
- 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!
