Wheat Ridge pauses long‑running Ward Station pedestrian bridge project; council backs property acquisitions, pushes Tabor Street multimodal work

Wheat Ridge City Council and staff announced a pause in advancing the long‑planned pedestrian bridge across the G Line at Ward Station, citing rising construction and right‑of‑way costs and ongoing operations and maintenance obligations. Councilors directed staff to continue acquiring most trail parcels related to the project, to seek reallocation of an $8.3 million regional TIP grant toward the Tabor Street multimodal project, and to prioritize nearby public‑improvement projects in the Ward Station area.

The recommendation came after staff presented the project history and site constraints and after residents and councilors raised questions about cost, property impacts and long‑term upkeep. "While the vision for the pedestrian bridge has long held promise, a lot of the current financial and logistical challenges call for a pause," staff said.

The bridge concept first appears in the city planning record in 2013 and traces to earlier subarea planning and technical advisory reviews. Staff told council that conceptual designs progressed to roughly 90% but that total project estimates have grown to about $19 million since earlier planning. The bridge and its related trail would require multiple property interests to be acquired or encumbered; staff estimated acquiring most trail parcels (excluding one key commercial parcel) would cost under $600,000. Staff also noted significant ongoing operations and maintenance obligations—two exterior elevators and continual cleaning and upkeep—which RTD would not accept. Staff said the city has already incurred one penalty under DRCOG/Jefferson County TIP program rules and faces a second if construction advertising does not occur by July 1, 2025.

Councilors and staff discussed four possible paths: (1) delay the project and return the $8.3 million TIP grant for reallocation by the Jefferson County TIP forum; (2) preserve the opportunity for future implementation while acquiring most needed trail parcels (excluding the parcel at 5075 Tabor Street); (3) pursue further discussion with the Jefferson County TIP forum to reallocate the $8.3 million toward the Tabor Street multimodal project; and (4) reassign the city’s expected savings in its URA bond allocation (roughly $6 million) toward near‑term priorities such as a proposed 56‑unit mixed‑use building (Confluent project), a Youngfield Street sidewalk gap (estimated ~$500,000), and the Tabor Street multimodal improvements.

Council did not reach consensus on the first option—whether to delay and immediately return the TIP grant—but indicated clear support for continuing to acquire most trail parcels (excluding the commercially sensitive 5075 Tabor Street parcel), for pursuing reallocation discussions at the Jefferson County TIP forum with the goal of moving money to the Tabor Street multimodal project, and for prioritizing the Confluent site public improvements and the Youngfield sidewalk using URA savings while seeking TIP reallocation. Several councilors and residents urged that the Tabor Street crossing and multimodal connections over I‑70 be a higher near‑term priority than the rail‑crossing bridge, citing safety and daily utility for neighborhood residents.

Property impacts and site constraints were central to the discussion. Staff described a steep hillside at the north end of the trail and an active commercial storage yard at 5075 Tabor Street whose operations — deliveries and storage of building materials — would be significantly affected by a right‑of‑way take. Staff said that taking that parcel in whole would substantially increase acquisition costs. Staff also reported a persistent water‑runoff issue tied to a siphon/manhole area that affects a private parking lot and the I‑70 frontage road; the Reno Yukon Ditch company has requested easement access to its facilities and staff said the source of the recurring water will need further investigation and coordination among ditch interests and the city if the project is postponed.

Staff and council discussed reusing the TIP grant in Jefferson County if Wheat Ridge relinquishes it. Staff noted that returned TIP funding would go back to the county pool; the first opportunities would be projects on the TIP waiting list and at the discretion of the Jefferson County subregional forum. Staff recommended lobbying the TIP forum to prioritize at least a portion of those funds for the Tabor Street multimodal project and said the city has already secured a separate TIP award for design and environmental work on the Tabor Street project (approximately $4 million for design/environmental work).

Council members suggested alternative uses for the URA savings the city would retain by pausing the bridge. Staff said the Confluent mixed‑use proposal has identified about $2.8 million in public‑improvement needs to make the project feasible; the council discussed using a portion of URA funds to support that development and using remaining funds for the Youngfield sidewalk gap and additional elements of the Tabor‑area multimodal network.

Councilors and staff asked that the city clarify the source of the recurring water on the hillside and identify whether the Reno Yukon Ditch company or groundwater sources are responsible. Council directed staff to continue negotiations with property owners for all needed trail parcels except 5075 Tabor Street, to pursue TIP reallocation conversations with Jefferson County partners, and to bring back recommendations on prioritizing URA savings for the Confluent project, Youngfield sidewalk and Tabor multimodal work.

Council discussion also touched on retaining elements of the bridge project for future consideration should funding and land‑use conditions change. Several councilors expressed disappointment at pausing the public‑art component that had been planned for the bridge, but staff said they are exploring relocating or preserving the artwork if feasible.

Looking ahead, staff said the city will: continue limited acquisition of trail parcels (excluding the large commercial parcel), pursue reallocation of TIP funds toward Tabor multimodal improvements through the Jefferson County forum, explore short‑term fixes for the water/drainage impacts affecting adjacent private property, and identify prioritized uses for the URA savings. Decisions on formally relinquishing or retaining any portion of the $8.3 million TIP award will require further action and coordination with Jefferson County and the TIP forum.

If council ultimately pauses construction and relinquishes the TIP grant, staff warned the project would return to the county pool and the city would need to reapply through normal TIP forums and schedules to compete for that funding in the future.

Notes: the presentation summarizing the project history, parcel impacts and costs referenced planning documents going back to 2006 and repeated updates in 2013, 2015 and 2019; current staff figures estimate total project costs near $19 million and parcel acquisition for the trail (excluding the major commercial parcel) under $600,000. The north‑end trail length is roughly 1,100 feet; the pedestrian bridge length presented in staff materials is approximately 220 feet.

Ending: Councilors asked staff to return with any agreements reached with Jefferson County TIP partners, updated acquisition status for the trail parcels, and options for using URA savings to support the Confluent project and Youngfield sidewalk work. Staff also agreed to further investigate the water‑runoff source and any immediate remedies for the affected private parking lot and frontage road.