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Arvada staff recommend canceling West 72nd Avenue underpass as costs swell to ~$137 million
Summary
City staff told the Arvada City Council on Jan. 20, 2026, that the West 72nd Avenue underpass design’s latest estimate has grown from earlier figures (~$65M–$97.5M) to about $137M, creating an estimated $63M gap versus secured funding; the council directed staff to stop work, hold a Feb. 2 public open house and develop alternatives including an at-grade widening.
Arvada city staff on Jan. 20 recommended cancelling the planned West 72nd Avenue underpass and evaluating alternatives after construction estimates rose sharply.
City Manager Don Wick introduced the workshop and said the recommendation was driven by a large increase in the latest construction estimate. "The recommendation that I am making to the council tonight is that we cancel the current underpass project and evaluate other alternatives, such as potentially widening the at-grade crossing," he said. Staff emphasized that, while an underpass would provide benefits for emergency response and traffic delay, the city would have to reallocate funds from other capital projects and incur additional debt to close the funding gap.
Jacqueline Rhodes, the city’s director of infrastructure, told the council the most recent estimate for construction package 3 (CP3) and owner contingency had risen to "almost a $137,000,000" total compared with secured funding of about $73,000,000, leaving…
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