CO 7 (Upper) Estes Park to Raymond

About the Project

On July 5, 2016, crews kicked off phase I of the construction to improve CO 7, with an anticipated completion in September 2017. This window included a winter work stop from Nov. 15 to March 15.

The first phase included installing more than 20 culverts to carry water under the road, reconstruction to the shoulders, rock scaling, slope stabilization and asphalt paving. 

By the winter shutdown in November 2016, crews had completed 85 percent of the culverts, the bridge deck rehabilitation, construction on the business loop and the rock scaling along CO 7.

Phase two repairs started in July 2017 under a separate contract, and involve continued culvert work and roadway paving to the junction with US 36 in Estes Park.

Benefits

• Introduce certain betterments to damaged roadway facilities and make them more resilient to similar storm events in the future.
•  Design elements—based on analysis of the flood damage—will help prevent or lessen the severe damage that significant flood events can cause.
• At the Cabin Creek site near St. Malo, a debris/sediment basin may be installed upstream of the culvert under CO 7 to help contain large debris loads.
• Crews will build an optional bridge over the Cabin Creek crossing to help pass debris and sediment. 
• Re-paving and re-evaluating the drainage structures along the corridor will ensure a level of safety and provide resiliency to future storm events.

Work Schedule

2016

• July - October: CO 7 & Business Route going from west to east
• Mid-July – October: Mile Post 12 going west to Mile Post 9.62
• Mid-July – September 2016: Bridge rehab at MP 13.0
• August – November: MP 6.33 (Lily Lake)
• September – November: MP 8.3- 12X4 Reinforced Concrete Box Culverts (RCBC)

2017

• March - April: Culverts at MP 9.97 & MP 13.62 (42’’ pipe)
• March – June: MP 10.8 (St. Malo)
• April – May: MP 13.65 to MP 13.67, MP 8.7 (8X4 RCBC), MP 10.22 (12X4 RCBC)
• May – July: MP 16.04 east to MP 19.25
• July – October: Paving, guardrail and finish work.

Project News & Updates

Most culvert crossings are concrete pipe with inlet/outlet structures. Larger culverts are reinforced concrete box culverts (RCBC), which may require wingwalls and riprap drop structures.

Repairs to Begin to Upper CO 7 - Three-Day Intersection Closure at 7E North

In conjunction with the culvert work on CO 7 and 7E, ACC will close the northern intersection of CO 7 and 7E from Wednesday, July 27 through Friday, July 29. (This closure is likely to be shorter.)

While the majority of the work for this project will only prompt single lane closures that will be managed with a signal, this intersection work will progress much more quickly and safely if a full closure is in place. Access for homes and businesses on 7E will be directed to the southern intersection of CO 7 & 7E.

ACC will have single-lane traffic at the culvert crossings managed by a temporary signal. These signals will alternate traffic during non-construction hours, with a maximum five-minute hold. During working hours, ACC will manage traffic using flaggers, who will keep the delays under 10 minutes. There will be exceptions for days when rockfall mitigation occurs, which may require holds up to 30 minutes.

ACC will be working from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, with work in the roadway complete by noon on Friday.

Phase I of upper CO 7 is scheduled for July 2016 – October 2017, with a winter work stop from mid-November to mid-March. A work stop means no construction will occur and there will be no traffic control related to this project within the roadway.

Traffic Impacts

• Full closure of the northern intersection of CO 7 & 7E from July 27 – July 29. Access is available at the southern intersection.
• Culvert work along CO 7 will prompt single lane closures at the point of work with through traffic alternating at the direction of a signal. Holds will be fewer than 5 minutes.
• Limited flagger-manned traffic holds may occur as equipment mobilizes in/out of a work site, and longer delays may be required if scaling for rock excavation is needed. These holds will be approximately 20 minutes long.