Committee advances $8.8 million design contract for Peña Boulevard reconstruction; NEPA outreach planned

Committee members advanced a professional design services contract with HG Consult valued at $8,796,000 for Peña Boulevard reconstruction (E‑470 to Jackson Gap), and Denver International Airport staff briefed the committee on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for the broader I‑70 to E‑470 corridor.

Danielle Yersley, principal project manager for DENs engineering, design and construction group, told the committee the HG Consult contract would fund roadway reconstruction, drainage and water‑quality design, traffic engineering, lighting, ITS, geotechnical testing and multiuse trail connections. "Our requested council action today is approval for an HG Consult contract in the amount of $8,796,000," she said.

Yersley said the project preserves the existing lane count (three lanes in each direction), straightens an inbound curve by the former toll plaza, realigns off ramps at Gun Club Road, and will remove about eight acres of impervious area to improve drainage and water quality. Staff said these improvements are intended to minimize construction impacts by maintaining lane capacity and to support development in DENs West approach area.

Councilmembers asked about local access, the cell‑phone lot, and how removing the Gun Club off‑ramp would affect circulation. Yersley said the cell‑phone lot will not be impacted; Jim Starling and Phil Washington said the proposal removes the existing ramp and will create a new intersection on Gun Club Road. When Councilmember Kevin Flynn raised a security question about how the airport would close access in an emergency without the old toll plaza, staff said "we removed the toll plaza, for various reasons" and that blocking with police vehicles is an available option while other procedures are evaluated.

Scott Morrissey, senior vice president for sustainability at DEN, updated the committee on the NEPA schedule, stakeholder engagement and the requirement to validate a purpose‑and‑need statement tied to the 2024 Peña master plan. Morrissey said staff will conduct targeted agency coordination and public outreach, including a virtual open house and an in‑person open house at Green Valley Ranch Recreation Center on Jan. 22; he clarified timing during his remarks to indicate the events begin in January 2026.

Chair Lewis called for and received a motion to advance the HG Consult contract; Councilmember Kevin Flynn moved and Councilmember Paul Cashman seconded. The meeting transcript records the motion and second but does not show a roll‑call vote tally.

Next steps: staff will finalize contracting and continue NEPA scoping and public engagement; committee members requested a list of organizations that have already been contacted and asked staff to repair a broken project link noted on the presentation slides.