Aug. 2007 Public Meetings
1. What are the requirements for U.S. 50 highway in this study?
2. What are the U.S. 50 corridor location options?
4. If the right-of-way is 250-feet wide, what is included in that width?
5. Will any of the U.S. 50 corridors go through the towns?
6. Why move U.S. 50 outside of towns that already have a four-lane roadway going through town?
7. Which sections will be widened to four lanes first?
8. What will happen to the existing roadway when the new U.S. 50 highway is built around the town?
9. What effect will this project have on my property?
10. How will buildings and land be acquired once the final route is determined?
1. What are the requirements for U.S. 50 highway in this study?
The purpose of the highway improvements is to improve safety and mobility and to meet the needs of various users, including local, regional and long-distance travelers. The requirements for this type of roadway include a consistently higher speed and a more limited access highway (meaning streets and roads cannot connect to U.S. 50 as frequently as they do now).
Purpose and Need
The Purpose for undertaking transportation improvements in the U.S. 50 corridor between Pueblo and the vicinity of the Kansas state line is to:
- Improve safety
- Improve mobility for local, regional and long-distance users of U.S. 50, balancing the mobility and access needs of these users, while providing flexibility to meet future travel demands.
The Need for improvements on U.S. 50 results from the combined effects of multiple safety and mobility problems, which include:
- Conflicting needs of local, regional and long-distance users
- Limited passing opportunities
- Numerous uncontrolled access points
- Frequent changes in design characteristics
- Inadequate clear zones
2. What are the U.S. 50 corridor location options?
In-town and around-town corridor options have been evaluated. The in-town corridors were evaluated and shown as 200 feet wide, while the around-town corridors were evaluated and shown as 1,000 feet wide. The 1,000-foot-wide corridors provide flexibility for trying to avoid homes, farm/ranch buildings, businesses and other resources when the road is designed at a later date. This flexibility was not possible for corridors going through towns. Because of the number and severity of the impacts, we are recommending that the roadway NOT go through towns. Back to Top
3. At the August 2007 public meetings, the U.S. 50 corridor options showed 200-foot and 1,000-foot corridors. What is the difference between the 200-foot and 1,000-foot corridors proposed?
A 200-foot corridor width was utilized for all in-town locations and a 1,000-foot corridor width was shown for the out-of-town corridor location alternatives.
The 200-foot in-town width is the least amount of space required for any improved (50 mph), four-lane highway through any town. This width provided the most realistic view of the numerous resources that could be impacted if the highway went through the town. Figure 3-1 below shows how this 200-foot (194-foot actual) width was determined. The side streets could no longer have access to U.S. 50; they would become cul-de-sacs to provide turn-around areas or connect to other streets. The median is required to allow a turning lane for at least one access location in town.
Figure 3-1
Click here to see a more complete figure showing the local street connection possibilities.
The 1,000-foot width is utilized for all out-of-town corridor location alternatives. It represents the possible area within which the 250-foot fence-to-fence four-lane expressway could be built. The current study (Tier 1 EIS) will not determine the 250-foot final alignment.
Figure 3-2 below shows an example of how the 1000-foot corridor works with the final roadway alignment that will be determined at a later date. The 250-foot width would not necessarily be placed in the center of the 1000-foot corridor; the placement would be determined following a detailed examination of the possible impacts.
Figure 3-2
Back to Top
4. If the right-of-way is 250 feet wide, what is included in that width?
The roadway type that meets the objectives of the project is likely to be a four-lane expressway. It will look similar to the existing four-lane portions of U.S. 50 located near Pueblo, going past the Pueblo airport.
It would include a four-lane, 65 mph expressway. The right-of-way includes four lanes (two each way), a median, paved shoulders, a clear zone for safety, and a ditch or area for drainage. The width of the median may vary.
Click here to view example.
Back to Top
5. Will any of the U.S. 50 corridors go through the towns?
Because of the number and severity of the impacts, we are recommending that the roadway NOT go through towns. In addition to the impacts, safety considerations do not allow for the number of access points (local street connections) that the road through town now has. Many local streets would end in cul de sacs instead of crossing the road. Back to Top
6. Why move U.S. 50 outside of towns that already have a four-lane roadway going through town?
The vision for U.S. 50, based on the Purpose and Need, calls for a high-speed, limited-access roadway that balances the needs of all users (local, regional and statewide travelers). The existing four-lane portions of U.S. 50 through towns would not accommodate these characteristics. In these areas, expanding the current lanes would severely impact homes and businesses located along U.S. 50. Building a new roadway outside of town will allow each community to retain the existing U.S. 50 roadway as their own main street, and provides additional options for regional and statewide travelers to efficiently travel through the valley. There will be signs and connections to guide travelers into the towns. Back to Top
7. Which sections will be widened to four lanes first?
Part of the current study is to identify sections that can be built independently of any other portion of the highway. It will be up to the local transportation planning regions (Southeastern Transportation Planning Region and the Pueblo Area Council of Governments) to determine which sections get built first based on funding and input from communities. Back to Top
8. What will happen to the existing roadway when the new U.S. 50 highway is built around the town?
The Colorado Transportation Commission's current policy is that the portion of U.S. 50 located within each community will be turned over to that community. The details and conditions of the transfer of U.S. 50 to the communities will be determined at a later date (prior to construction). Back to Top
9. What effect will this project have on my property?
It is too early to determine specific parcels of land that will be affected.
This study (Tier 1 EIS) is a general look at the entire 150-mile corridor. The next study (Tier 2) will include a series of location-specific environmental and engineering studies (see question #7). The current study is scheduled to be completed in 2009. No funding has been identified for the next study (Tier 2) or for subsequent design or construction of the highway.
Remember that when building a highway (250-foot fence-to-fence) somewhere within the 1,000-foot wide corridor, there is room to try to avoid homes, farm/ranch buildings, businesses and other resources. The Tier 2 study will determine the actual highway location and the real property acquisition process will begin. Back to Top
10. How will buildings and land be acquired once the final route is determined?
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) follows the federal Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 when acquiring property.
The value placed on property acquired for public use, such as the U.S. 50 highway improvements, is at fair market value. Market value is the sale price that a willing and informed seller and a willing and informed buyer agree to for a particular property. It can include other factors when relocating businesses. Only in a small number of instances does CDOT use eminent domain to condemn property for public use.
Click here for an explanation of CDOT's current Acquisition Program- Your Rights and Entitlements as an Owner of Real Property.
11. I'm concerned that going around our town will impact the economy. Do you have any information or studies that address this issue?
This is a major concern and consideration of this study. The around-town corridor location alternatives are strategically located to be very close to the existing towns with signing that will help direct traffic to the towns.
There is an extensive body of literature examining economic impacts to communities. Eleven studies were selected for review. They were all conducted in the 1990s and early 2000s. The primary focus of the studies was on small towns and rural communities in Kansas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Texas, North Carolina, and Oklahoma. The studies reviewed are listed below.
Gilson, P., Aistrup, J., Zollinger, B., The Expected Economic Consequences of Upgrading US Highway 50 to Rural Interstate Standards Reno County, Kansas to Hamilton County, Kansas. Docking Institute of Public Affairs Research Report 2002-9.
Yeh, D., Gannon, M., Leong, D. Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). Economic Impacts of Highway Bypasses on Wisconsin Communities. Executive summary.
Leong, D., Weisbrod, G. Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) and Economic Development Research Group. Summary of Highway Bypass Studies. Boston, MA; WisDOT and Economic Development Research Group; Dec 2000. Internet copy not available at this time.
Liff, S. Transportation Research Board (TRB). Effects of Highway Bypasses on Rural Communities and Small Urban Areas. Washington, D.C.: TRB; May 1996. Summary and purchasing information at http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=3079
Burress, D. Impacts of Highway Bypasses on Kansas Towns. University of Kansas: Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT); Oct 1996. Report #226. Available at http://www.ipsr.ku.edu/resrep/pdf/m226.pdf
Babcock, M., Davalos, J. Case Studies of the Economic Impact of Highway Bypasses in Kansas. Journal of the Transportation Research Forum. Spring 2004; 43(1). Summary at http://www.trforum.org/journal/viewabstract.php?id=12&PHPSESSID=25ef15a94bb792b1c289183600d017ff
Handy, S., Kubly, A., Oden, M. Economic Impacts of Highway Relief Routes on Small Communities. University of Texas at Austin: Transportation Research Record; 2002. Report #1792.
Srinivasan, S., Kockelman, K. The Impacts of Bypasses on Small and Medium-Sized Communities: An Econometric Analysis. University of Texas at Austin: Bureau of Transportation Statistics; 1992.
Handy, S., Kockelman, K., Kubly, S., Srinivasan, S., Jarrett, J., Oden, M., Mahmassani, H. The Impacts of Highway Relief Routes on Small Towns in Texas. University of Texas at Austin: Center for Transportation Research; Oct 2001. Report #1843-S.
Snyder and Associates. Primary Road Bypass Study Literature Review of Selected Iowa Communities. Iowa Department of Transportation; 1999. Internet copy not available at this time.
Comer, J., Finchum, G. Business Impacts of Highway Bypasses. Oklahoma State University: Department of Geography; 2001.
