CDOT outlines scaled safety work at State Highway 1 intersection; town to receive leftover funds for local projects

CDOT and town officials on Feb. 11 described a multi‑stage approach to improve safety at the County Road 9/County Road 62 E intersection with State Highway 1 in Wellington, with short‑term striping and lane changes planned now and larger reconstruction and realignment held for a future funding round.

The presentation, led by Public Works Director Bob Gein and Region 4 resident engineer Gina Fox, summarized a decade of study and grant activity and said CDOT’s current $4,000,000 contribution will not cover a full realignment or large roundabout. "Roundabouts are good for air quality," Gein said, noting the project originally secured a CMAC grant and later was packaged with other region priorities. Fox said CDOT’s design work found subsurface and roadway reconstruction needs that raised the ultimate project cost substantially.

The town’s planning and CDOT staff explained why the agency moved from a conceptual roundabout to smaller geometry and localized improvements. CDOT said a signal was considered but a warrant analysis showed it did not meet the threshold for installation. Geotechnical work found that reconstructing County Road 9 and County Road 62 E to carry state highway traffic would require full subgrade replacement, increasing the estimate into the millions above current funding.

CDOT described what will be built now if design is completed on schedule: corrected signing and striping at the State Highway 1/62 E access, an acceleration lane and a new left‑turn lane at County Road 9 onto Jefferson (State Highway 1), and other non‑"throwaway" widening or pavement work that can be incorporated into a later, larger project. Fox said the agency is aiming for final design by May and a short construction window (two to three months) timed around irrigation ditch shutdowns in winter/spring.

CDOT staff and trustees discussed future options. Fox said realigning the curve of State Highway 1 would likely be a roughly $10,000,000 project and would require being prioritized on the Upper Front Range priority list and CDOT’s 10‑year plan. She encouraged town officials to advocate during the Upper Front Range update (expected in June) to improve the project’s ranking for future funding.

Trustees raised local concerns. Representative Tim asked CDOT to confirm designs will accommodate large farm equipment; Fox said CDOT models the largest local vehicles and has verified turning movements for large combines. Trustees also asked whether remaining state funds would be retained by CDOT; staff said the plan is to draft an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Larimer County to transfer remaining CDOT dollars back to the town for local uses such as sidewalks or match funding for grants.

Town staff listed project costs incurred so far: updated traffic engineering (~$80,000), in‑house survey and subsurface utility work (~$180,000), geotechnical work, and engineering design (about $250,000 estimated through May). CDOT’s current construction estimate for the near‑term scope is roughly $2,000,000 (CDOT said it may be slightly less). Officials emphasized that recent survey, utility and geotechnical work are not throwaway items and will benefit future design or nearby development.

Next steps: CDOT will continue final design and clearances (environmental, utilities and right‑of‑way) and seek the winter construction window; town staff will pursue an IGA with Larimer County to accept and reallocate any leftover funds for local projects.

The presentation did not include any formal vote by the board; trustees asked questions and directed staff to continue coordination with CDOT and Upper Front Range to pursue priority listing.