Supervisors press DOT plan for reduced‑conflict intersection on Highway 218; interchange remains long‑term option

Supervisors updated the board on a DOT meeting about the Highway 218/Cedar Wapsi corridor and a near‑term safety project: the DOT plans to construct a reduced conflict intersection (a noninterchange design) with an anticipated construction date in 2028 and estimates suggesting approximately a 60% reduction in serious and fatal crashes.

The county’s road director summarized the DOT recommendation and noted the agency said an interchange remains on the long-range plan but current funding only supports the reduced-conflict design. “The data they have on those intersections suggest they should expect somewhere in the range of a 60% reduction in serious and fatal crashes,” the director said. Supervisors and local representatives questioned whether the design would safely accommodate semi traffic and whether sight distance near an uphill approach could create new hazards; several suggested tracking crash data annually and that the county consider recording opposition or urging the DOT to pursue a full interchange if the short-term fix underperforms.

Officials noted the reduced-conflict design includes center turnaround maneuvers and extension of turn lanes to mitigate backups, but multiple jurisdictions expressed a preference for a full interchange where feasible. The board discussed placing the issue on a future agenda to determine whether to record formal opposition or pursue intergovernmental coordination with nearby counties and the city of Denver.