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Adams County notes cluster of serious crashes at US‑85/120th, seeks joint advocacy and grants for long‑term fix
Summary
Staff reported three serious or fatal crashes at US‑85 and 120th within weeks and described CDOT speed‑study coordination; commissioners agreed to pursue joint advocacy with Commerce City and Brighton and to seek federal/state grants for a multi‑phase interchange project estimated at roughly $120M construction cost.
County staff briefed commissioners on a recent cluster of serious incidents at the US‑85/120th corridor, noting three high‑severity crashes within a short period: a May 24 crash involving alcohol and one fatality and several severe injuries; a May 26 bicycle crash that proved fatal; and a June 6 road‑rage incident where a motorist struck a motorcycle and left the scene.
Staff said CDOT will perform a speed study and review signage and intersection operations; if posted speeds are extreme, CDOT may coordinate enforcement with the State Patrol. Commissioners emphasized the county is monitoring the corridor and pursuing funding opportunities despite the road being state‑maintained.
The discussion turned to funding and advocacy. Staff said the full interchange reconstruction is a large, multi‑year project with an estimated current construction cost in the neighborhood of $120 million (staff noted final cost would rise over time). Commissioners proposed joint advocacy letters and coordinated requests to the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program, and asked staff to explore breaking the project into phased components to improve competitiveness for federal grants.
Staff also described recent grant activity: the county submitted CHRE/railroad crossing elimination and other federal NOFOs in early June and will continue to coordinate with Commerce City and Brighton on TIP and federal grant cycles. Commissioners asked that staff include the proposed project in advocacy to add the corridor to future TIP planning cycles.
Ending note: staff will draft a letter to the Commerce City council and mayor, copy county leadership, and invite joint advocacy to state and federal partners while pursuing phased grant strategies for construction funding.
