Council approves $15.8M construction contract for Santa Fe–Mineral operational improvements, including quadrant road

The Littleton City Council on Oct. 21 approved a construction contract with CEMA Construction Inc. for the long‑planned Santa Fe Drive and Mineral Avenue operational improvements, a regional transportation project that includes a new quadrant ("Quad") road, a dual box culvert for drainage, a new roundabout and a two‑way protected cycle track.

The 6-0 vote authorizes the city to move from final design into construction; staff said construction is expected to start next month and last roughly two years.

The nut graf: City staff and the project team described the improvements as intended to reduce crashes and congestion at the Santa Fe/Mineral intersection by rerouting left‑turn movements onto a short quadrant road, adding safety features for pedestrians and bicyclists and improving connectivity to the Mary Carter Greenway and nearby development. Federal grants and developer contributions cover most of the roughly $21 million project budget; the contract award to CEMA Construction reflects the low bid of about $15.8 million.

Project overview and rationale

Aaron Human, Littleton’s transportation engineering manager and project manager, walked the council through the components: an east–west quadrant road (Nichols Avenue), a new signal at Nichols and Santa Fe, a roundabout on the Quadrant Road, widened Santa Fe to support double U‑turns, a dual box culvert and a new trail underpass beneath the Mineral bridge that connects to the Mary Carter Greenway. Staff said the design removes left turns at the main Santa Fe–Mineral intersection and channels those movements to the quadrant road, increasing green time for through movements and reducing conflict points.

Funding and schedule

Staff presented a funding package that combines federal grants (about $14.5 million), developer contributions (about $4 million from Toll Brothers and Evergreen) and a city share of roughly 13% of the total. Design and construction management expenditures to date were also summarized; staff said the contractor’s bid of $15,800,000 is the construction contract before council.

Construction and traffic management

City staff said the contractor will be required to maintain traffic through the corridor and that there are no planned full closures of Santa Fe or Mineral; the work is intended to be staged to preserve lanes during the two‑year construction window. Staff also said they will run a public outreach and education program explaining new traffic patterns once construction is complete.

Council discussion and safety justification

Council members asked about noise/impacts during construction, alternate routes (including Aspen Grove Way), and the safety and spacing for the double U‑turn design. Staff said signals will be coordinated to preserve flow and that U‑turn/W‑turn movements will be signalized and phased to avoid conflicts.

Ending: Council members lauded the years of planning and grant success that made the project possible and approved the contract by a 6‑0 vote.