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Scenic Highway of Legends design work moves forward after CDOT TAP approval
Summary
A local byway representative told the Huerfano County Board of County Commissioners that federal and state grant approvals have cleared the way for design and community outreach on a multiuse wayfinding and pull-off project along the Highway of Legends corridor.
Deborah Malone, a representative for the Scenic Highway of Legends, told the Huerfano County Board of County Commissioners at their July 1 meeting that the corridor has secured Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funding from the Colorado Department of Transportation for multimodal wayside exhibits and pull-offs on Highway 12 and U.S. 160.
Malone said the TAP award follows earlier planning documented in a planned environmental linkage (PEL) study that examined safety, multimodal access and tourism opportunities along the two-county corridor. "I'm not here to ask for money," Malone told commissioners before describing the project and next steps.
The PEL study and a corridor management plan identified a range of possible improvements, Malone said, and the TAP funds will be used for phased, lower-cost “wayside” improvements first. She said the project team submitted an RFP to CDOT and received a single responsive design proposal from a firm identified in the meeting as THK. That proposal was evaluated and approved by project partners, and a contract was executed between THK and the South Central (Council) of Governments, which is serving as the financial administrator for the grant funding.
Malone said THK and a CDOT project manager had completed two days of site scoping and business outreach; she reported strong local support. She also said the Spanish Peaks Outdoor Coalition (SPOC) voted to include the Scenic Highway of Legends project in a proposed GoCo Regional Partnership Incentive grant application; SPOC would seek $250,000 to be shared among three local projects if the GoCo request is awarded.
Malone outlined the project goals that were identified in the PEL work: improved safety for vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians; a multimodal trail and bus connections; and improved access to communities and recreation to encourage longer stays and repeat visits along the byway. She said community meetings would begin next week and that project leaders were taking precautions in design and scope planning because of possible funding reductions at CDOT.
Commissioners and members of the public who spoke in favor praised the amount of background work and expressed support for community outreach and wayfinding that could help local businesses and recreation sites.
Malone noted the project’s competitive history — earlier federal byway grant rounds selected only one byway per state — but said persistence and the combination of local match from two counties and the South Central Council of Governments’ administration made the TAP award possible. She said construction-phase funding remains a future step and that the GoCo request is intended to help cover construction if needed.
The presentation did not include a formal BOCC action; Malone’s update closed with a plan for community meetings and continued coordination among CDOT, the design firm and local partners.
