CDOT Region 3 warns funding won’t keep pace with needs, outlines Montrose‑area projects

Colorado Department of Transportation Region 3 officials told Montrose County commissioners on June 29 that long‑standing revenue structures — notably flat per‑gallon fuel taxes — are not keeping pace with inflation and asset needs, while listing specific projects planned for the area.

"Our focus is fix our roads," Jason Smith, CDOT Region 3 director, said at the county's work session, opening a 30–40 minute briefing on the agency's mission, staffing and budget. Mark Rogers, Region 3 planning staff, added that the department's total budget is about $2.3 billion and that the federal gas tax remains 18.4¢ per gallon.

Why it matters: CDOT said some asset classes are underfunded relative to need. Region 3 has roughly 15,000 culverts; Smith and other staff noted the program receives about $2,000,000 per year for culvert work, which officials said is far smaller than the replacement needs. CDOT also described a 10‑year plan that lists 45 projects for the region and estimated roughly $33 million per year in project funding allocated for those projects over the next decade.

Local projects and timing: CDOT's engineering team outlined work that will affect Montrose County, including continuing shoulder widening and resurfacing on Colorado 92, a large resurfacing and bridge/culvert replacement project on County Road 348 (Delta–Olathe), Montrose business loop resurfacing on US 50, and a set of culvert linings and repairs on US 50 near Saros Summit. Nate Jean, Montrose resident engineer, said the culvert lining package on US 50 was expected to finish in mid‑to‑late July, and that the Olathe resurfacing project will begin bridge work in the fall and paving in the following spring.

Funding constraints and tradeoffs: Rogers and Smith said the Highway Users Tax Fund and per‑gallon fuel taxes are effectively flat in real dollars and that newer fees and enterprise funds have partially offset declines. "If you compare it to inflation, it does not keep up with inflation," Rogers said. Officials flagged a planned reduction of about $10 million per year in regional pavement funding under a formula change in fiscal year 2029, and warned that means fewer large projects will be funded locally each year.

Safety and maintenance priorities: CDOT stressed safety campaigns and targeted investments. Region 3 reported that regional fatalities decreased from 72 in 2024 to 63 in 2025, but noted a statewide uptick in fatalities tied in part to motorcycle crashes. Non‑motorist fatalities (pedestrians and bicyclists) rose from six to 10 in the region between 2024 and 2025; staff said many of those occurred in rural settings and that behavior (seatbelt use, impaired driving) remains an important focus of education and engineering measures.

Communications and operations: CDOT said it is replacing parts of the CoTrip camera network and improving traveler notifications and language support on its app. Mark Bunnell, traffic unit staff, described forthcoming signal replacements in Montrose and a region‑wide initiative to add yellow bands to signal backplates to improve visibility.

What comes next: Officials encouraged local agencies and residents to raise safety concerns and candidate projects to CDOT and the regional Transportation Planning Region (TPR); some larger corridor decisions are set via the 10‑year plan and the Transportation Commission, while smaller safety or asset requests may be eligible for other funding sources.