Arapahoe County staff push impact fee to fund I‑70 Monahan interchange; SkyRanch to bond construction

Arapahoe County officials said Tuesday they will seek board approval to advance an impact‑fee plan to help pay for a relocated interchange on I‑70 at Monahan (the Airpark interchange), a project they and the lead developer say is needed to allow continued development in and around SkyRanch and Eastgate.

County staff and the two developers described a funding structure in which SkyRanch would bond the $40 million construction cost and the county would collect impact fees at the time of building permits and remit proceeds to repay the developer’s bond. County staff said the county would not be legally responsible for paying off those bonds if a developer defaults.

Why it matters: The interchange sits where growth from SkyRanch, Eastgate and nearby unincorporated and Aurora lands will concentrate traffic. County planners say the facility currently operates without major congestion because access is restricted, but development will produce travel demand that requires an upgraded interchange before full build‑out of the neighborhoods it serves.

County presentation and funding gap

Public Works and Development staff reviewed the project alternatives and finances and said the preferred design shifts the interchange to a section line alignment that minimizes modifications to I‑70 but connects the interchange to the county road network and, eventually,…