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Littleton approves Lee Gulch pedestrian underpass; partners commit $3.1 million in grants
Summary
City council unanimously approved three intergovernmental agreements to build a pedestrian underpass on Lee Gulch at Broadway, splitting roughly $4.2 million in underpass costs among Arapahoe County Open Space, South Suburban Parks and Recreation and the city; construction will require an open-cut of Broadway and months of traffic impacts.
The Littleton City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve three agreements to fund and build a pedestrian underpass where Lee Gulch crosses Broadway, a project city staff said will fix a failing culvert, improve trail connectivity and handle recurring flood flows.
City water resources manager Sarah White and Public Works Director Brent Soderlund told the council the underpass can be constructed together with necessary emergency culvert repairs, shortening long-term disruption compared with separate projects. White said the slope and culvert condition require an open-cut excavation up to 30 feet deep and that the city expects about six months of significant traffic impacts on Broadway while keeping one lane open each direction.
White said the combined construction estimate is roughly $8,000,000, with the culvert-repair portion about $3,500,000 and the underpass and related costs about $4,200,000. Arapahoe County Open Space has awarded a grant covering 50% of the underpass cost — $2,100,000 — and South Suburban agreed to contribute just over $1,000,000; the city will fund the remaining roughly $1,000,000. South Suburban also agreed to operate and maintain the underpass and associated culvert work, with an estimated annual maintenance cost of about $7,000 being incorporated into their budget.
"It's not a fun corridor to pass," White said of the Broadway crossing, describing the area as dangerous for pedestrians and vehicles until repairs are made. She told the council the project team is coordinating utility relocations (including temporary overhead power support) and replacement of an aging Denver Water supply line; those utility steps will affect the schedule and final start date. Staff estimated the project could be completed by October 2026 if utility work and permits proceed on schedule.
Council members and staff said the combined approach — replacing the failing culvert and building the underpass at once — provides cost-sharing advantages and advances a decades-old regional-trail vision for a continuous Lee Gulch trail between the South Platte River and County Line Road. Soderlund noted the project aligns with regional plans and will connect to existing trail segments used by tens of thousands of people annually.
Formal actions and votes - Resolution 47-2025: Approve intergovernmental agreement with the Board of County Commissioners of Arapahoe County for 2025 contribution of Arapahoe County Open Space funds to the Lee Gulch Trail pedestrian underpass. Vote: 7–0; outcome: approved. - Resolution 48-2025: Approve intergovernmental agreement with South Suburban Parks and Recreation District for funding, construction and maintenance of the Lee Gulch Trail pedestrian underpass. Vote: 7–0; outcome: approved. - Resolution 49-2025: Approve third amendment to the intergovernmental agreement with Mile High Flood District for design and construction of Lee Gulch at Broadway drainage and flood-control improvements. Vote: 7–0; outcome: approved.
What council members asked and what comes next Council members pressed staff on outreach and traffic-management planning; White said Public Works will lead neighborhood and business notifications (message boards, press and targeted outreach) at least two weeks before major closures and has already begun conversations with adjacent property owners and emergency responders. Staff said they are preparing a traffic-control plan and coordinating redundant utility service to minimize unplanned outages. The city manager said staff will continue public outreach as dates firm up.
The council gave staff direction to proceed with the agreements; construction scheduling will depend on final utility relocations and permitting. No litigation, eminent-domain or outside approval contingencies were identified as gating items in the presentation.
Ending Council members praised staff coordination and the partnerships that made the underpass funding possible. With the intergovernmental agreements approved, staff will finalize utility sequencing and public notifications and return with schedule updates and construction notices as dates are set.
