CDOT Region 3 tells Pitkin County it's short on funds for culverts, signals and pavements; Glenwood Canyon work planned for 2027–28

Jason Smith, director for CDOT Region 3, told the board the region is facing training and hiring challenges, flat near-term revenue and rising costs that have reduced the department's purchasing power. "Fix our roads, advancing transportation safety, and sustainable increase in transportation choices is the three top areas that we've been focused on," Jason Smith said, summarizing the region's priorities.

CDOT said funding for the region is largely gas-tax driven (federal and state sources) and that suballocated program dollars are limited. Asset-management charts showed pavement-treatment cycles slipping from the desired 12–15 years to an estimated 30–40 years under current funding levels. Jesse Spencer flagged culverts as a specific pressure point: the region has roughly 15,000 culverts but typically only about $2 million per year to allocate for culvert replacement, which translates to a multi-century replacement cycle for large culverts unless funding increases.

CDOT listed several projects that affect local travel: Glenwood Canyon Phase 8 and eastbound/westbound work planned for 2027–2028, resurfacing on SH 82 (Glenwood–Carbondale), a large I-70 interchange program to address capacity and aging interchanges, and local scour mitigation and bridge work (e.g., highway-13 work in Rifle). "We're projecting the Glenwood Canyon work in 2027 and 2028," a CDOT engineer said, and warned the work could require lane restrictions and head-to-head detours during construction seasons.

Traffic and safety teams described operational improvements: automated weather stations and VSL (variable speed limit) tuning in Glenwood Canyon, a regionwide program to install yellow signal back plates to improve visibility, and intersection improvements where left-turn pockets are short. Maintenance staff said routine responsibilities include debris removal, incident response, bridge repairs, and wildlife-fence work following recent fires; they also noted an increase in commercial-vehicle incidents that have required significant cleanup and guardrail repairs.

On staffing, CDOT said recruiting has improved after adding incentives and training programs; the department now runs an internal CDL training pipeline and provides housing stipends in some locations. Jason said housing stipends of up to roughly $2,000 per month are being used on some corridors to help retention, and CDOT has piloted agency-built housing projects in resort corridors where feasible.

During Q&A commissioners and staff asked about Bustang funding and county-level proposals for wildlife fencing and roundabouts; CDOT said it is in early planning with partners and that outside funding or partnerships could accelerate wildlife crossing or fencing projects.

A separate operational highlight: CDOT reported successful delivery and crane-setting of eight precast girders for the Redstone bridge project, each described in the presentation as 91 feet long and requiring oversized permits and coordinated transport.

What happens next: CDOT will continue local coordination on Glenwood Canyon phasing and traffic messaging, and county staff said they will work with CDOT and local partners on mitigation for projected summer detours and airport-closure impacts.