CO 119 Roadwork Near I-25

About the Project

This project rebuilt and repaired CO 119 from East County Line Road to I-25 near Longmont—a section of highway damaged from the September 2013 floods.

The project was finalized in June 2017—one month ahead of schedule.

The five-mile reconstruction project included:

• bridge repair;
• extensive erosion control measures to reinforce the highway;
• installation of adaptive traffic signal hardware to upgrade the timing of traffic signals and improve the flow of traffic; and
• concrete roadway resurfacing, which is expected to require less maintenance and provide a smoother, safer driving surface.

The project will build a stronger section of highway with more durable materials that can reduce the likelihood of storms washing away lanes and ensure future flooding doesn't damage the roadway.

Latest Updates

No updates available.

Damage Overview

This section of State Highway 119 in Weld County is a four lane divided facility providing access between Longmont and Interstate 25.  The confluence of Boulder Creek and Saint Vrain Creek is just to the south of this section of road, and continuing north, St. Vrain Creek flows through Saint Vrain State Park near County Road 7. 

During the flooding, water exceeded the banks of the main channel of St. Vrain Creek.  Water overtopped the highway and severely eroded the north side embankment and shoulder of the highway.  The roadway was undermined, culverts were damaged, and utilities were damaged.  The two bridge structures over St. Vrain Creek suffered minor erosion around their abutments.  Fences and guardrails were damaged or displaced being washed away with debris.

Emergency (Temporary) Repairs

The roadway embankment was repaired in areas outside of exposed utilities.  The undermined roadway shoulder and pavement were repaired along with damage at the approach of the westbound bridge over Saint Vrain Creek.

Permanent (Long-Term) Repairs

CDOT has an upcoming project to resurface the existing pavement that was already planned before the event.  Permanent flood repairs in coordination with the planned resurfacing project will include reconstruction of the roadway between the St. Vrain River and I-25, repair of existing structures, and armoring of the shoulder to prevent future erosion of the roadway.  

Estimated Timeline

• Est. Design Start: Fall 2014
• Est. Construction Start: Winter 2015-2016

Estimated Budget

• $10 - $20 million

Benefits

One of the goals in the repair process is to introduce certain betterments to roadway facilities that were damaged and make them more resilient to similar storm events in the future.  Having analyzed the damage caused during the flood event, certain design elements will be incorporated in an effort to prevent or lessen the severe damage that significant flood events can cause.  The damage on SH 119 revealed a potential for improvements that would help mitigate damage caused by overtopping of the roadway in future storm events.