Wheat Ridge outlines 2025 CIP and adopts pavement-management approach after citywide scan

Wheat Ridge public works staff presented an overview of the 2025 Capital Improvement Program and a citywide pavement-rating analysis at the Jan. 6 study session, introducing the CIP team and outlining project schedules and budget implications for pavement management.

Public Works Director Maria (first name used in the meeting) and CIP program staff told council the city had consolidated CIP responsibilities within Public Works and formed a small team to focus on project delivery and pavement-management work. Kent Kisselman, CIP program manager, summarized projects that staff expect to design or construct in 2025, and said the program’s 2025 projects total about $33 million in planned work.

Staff described a citywide pavement-condition survey performed with automated data collection and StreetLogix software. "Overall, you can see there our network OCI or PCI is 66, which isn't bad," Maria said, citing the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) scale used to rank pavement from 0 (failed) to 100 (excellent). Staff said the city’s inventory is roughly 30 miles of streets, with local/residential streets comprising the largest share of lane miles.

Staff presented a treatment strategy aimed at applying the "right repair on the right road at the right time." They proposed a preventive-and-corrective approach: routine and preventive maintenance (crack sealing, slurry seals) on streets rated in the good-to-fair range and more intensive corrective treatments (mill-and-overlay or full reconstruction) where the PCI is low. StreetLogix estimated repairing streets with PCI ≤ 55 using mill-and-overlay would cost roughly $18.8 million; staff recommended maintaining an overall PCI of about 65, which staff estimate would require approximately $3 million per year.

To improve efficiency and public communication, staff proposed concentrating work in six multi-year zones so neighborhoods would know when to expect inspections and treatments and so the city can coordinate with utilities and other agencies. Staff noted coordination is critical: several districts and utilities (including Denver Water, local water and sanitation districts, and private utilities such as Xcel) perform underground work that can require pavement restorations. Staff said they will seek better coordination to avoid repeated cuts to newly repaired streets.

Councilors asked technical and operational questions. Councilor Larson asked whether corridor projects overlap sidewalk and bicycle projects and staff said corridor projects identified for 2025 include the 38th Avenue refresh and 38th Avenue West work; sidewalk funding in 2025 was primarily allocated to maintenance rather than extensive gap-closure construction, with larger gap projects more likely to start in 2026.

Councilors also raised public-notice and transparency suggestions. Councilor Alm suggested making per-block or per-linear-foot cost examples available to the public to help residents understand repair costs; staff said a typical block (about 660 feet long) could be costed and that staff would provide examples. Councilors discussed making pavement-condition mapping and schedules available online; staff noted StreetLogix can publish a portal where residents could query the PCI for their street but that opening that portal publicly would require planning to handle additional inquiries.

Staff emphasized the program’s goals: slowing overall pavement decline through preventive maintenance, concentrating work for efficiency, and improving public communication about when streets will be evaluated and repaired. Staff said the Pavement Condition Index will be revisited on a roughly three-year cycle and that the proposed 2025 program would start work in zones 1 and 5 for corrective and preventive maintenance respectively.

Ending: Staff will continue project design and coordination with utilities, prepare public information about planned zones and schedules, and return to council with construction contracts and specific project approvals as those items reach the council agenda.