Posted in In the News on May 25, 2013
Colorado state transportation officials are looking at making improvements to a dangerous stretch of road between Fort Collins and the Wyoming border. For awhile US Highway 287 has had the dubious distinction of being a dangerous stretch of road, with a higher risk of accidents for motorists. Colorado state transportation officials have now announced a budget of $2 million to make improvements to the stretch of road to make it safer.
The improvements will be made to the intersection of US Highway 287 and Red Feather Lakes Road. This intersection sees about 4,800 vehicles passing through every day. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, there were 5 accidents at the intersection that were investigated between 2007 and 2011.
The improvements include an increase in the length of the acceleration and deceleration lanes. The plans also include the establishment of a buffer zone between the northbound left turn lane as well as the through southbound lane. Wider shoulders would also be included in the intersection improvement plans. There are also structural adjustments that are being planned in order to remove the defects that were increasing the risk of accidents for motorists.
All of this construction work is expected to begin over next summer. The improvement plan is also expected to deal with the problem of poor visibility that many motorists have reported in this area. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, many motorists have reported close calls at the intersection, and the numbers are simply too many to ignore.
Last year alone, the Colorado Department of Transportation spent about $1 million making improvements to the same stretch of road, and those improvements include new warning signs for drivers, cable guardrails as well as rumble strips.
