To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
From: Robert Goebel, P.E., Director of Public Works
Title
Update: Plum Creek Parkway Intersection Improvements [Perry Street to I-25]
Body
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Executive Summary
The purpose of this informational memorandum is to update the Town Council on the Plum Creek Parkway Intersection Improvement project. No action is required on this item. The goals and objectives of this multi-faceted project are to improve safety, reduce traffic congestion, and improve smoothness of ride in the corridor. The limits of the project are from the west side of I-25 to Perry Street along Plum Creek Parkway. Through traffic analysis and the survey feedback from the community regarding a desire to reduce congestion, Town staff has identified the need for certain street improvements at three intersections on Plum Creek Parkway: Perry Street, Wilcox Street, and I-25 ramp intersections.
The proposed improvements are shown on (Attachment A, B & C) and listed below:
1. Adding a dedicated free right turn lane to southbound Perry Street at Plum Creek Parkway
2. Adding northbound and westbound turn lanes and removing the “dip” from the Plum Creek Parkway and Wilcox intersection;
3. Adding an additional right turn lane for the I-25 northbound on-ramp; Active Traffic Management System (ATM) proposed. This item requires approval from CDOT and the Federal Highway Administration.
Public outreach for the project objectives has been very positive. Additional outreach efforts will be made to assist in the selection of a construction phasing plan.
To expedite the construction of the project and lessen the impact to the area businesses and the traveling public, Public Works will be requesting Town Council approval of night work for critical construction phases. This will be during a future Town Council meeting.
Notification and Outreach Efforts
The feedback from public outreach feedback (Public Works Commission, Crystal Valley Ranch HOA, one-on-one meetings with affected businesses) has been overwhelmingly positive for the overall project objectives. The construction effort will temporarily impact some of the businesses in the area, in addition to the travelling public utilizing these intersections on a daily basis. Once a contractor has been selected and construction phasing options developed, Public Works intends to request public feedback to determine what construction phasing alternatives will be the most acceptable. The alternatives will likely be short construction duration with limited access, or longer construction duration with more access. Downtown festivities will also be taken into consideration, such as the Douglas County Fair and Parade.
Regardless of the construction phasing alternative chosen, Public Works would like the contractor to complete the intersection improvements (in particular the Wilcox and Plum Creek Parkway intersection) in the shortest amount of time as possible. This would include working nights, weekends and holidays. At future Town Council meetings, Public Works will request Town Council’s approval for: award of construction contract, construction phasing, and night work during the various construction phases.
Discussion
Plum Creek Parkway and Perry Street
At this intersection, there is a shared lane serving southbound through traffic on Perry Street and right turning traffic from southbound Perry Street to westbound Plum Creek Parkway. The proposed plan will provide a dedicated free right turn lane for the southbound to westbound traffic.
Plum Creek Parkway and Wilcox
Presently, there is a severe dip in Plum Creek Parkway on the east side of the intersection with Wilcox Street. The crown of Wilcox Street is carried through the intersection, along with a continuous drainage gutter on the east side creating the dip. The proposed plan will extend the Town’s storm drain system to eliminate the need for a drainage gutter in the intersection and re-profile the street through the intersection to remove the dip. From an traffic operations standpoint, there are a high amount of left turn movements occurring at the intersection in the AM peak period from northbound Wilcox Street to westbound Plum Creek Parkway. The proposed plan will widen the south approach to accommodate an additional left turn lane. The proposed plan also includes a free right turn lane for eastbound to southbound Wilcox. In addition, the plan includes removal of the raised median on the west approach to provide additional left turn storage for eastbound and westbound left turn lanes.
Plum Creek Parkway and I-25
At this intersection, there are a high amount of right turn volumes from westbound Plum Creek Parkway to the northbound I-25 on-ramp. The heavy volumes create a backup along Plum Creek Parkway to the east creating additional operational problems at the Wilcox Street intersection, where the stacking traffic for the interchange access conflicts with right turning traffic from westbound Plum Creek Parkway to northbound Wilcox Street. The proposed plan will utilize an Active Traffic Management System (ATM) to automatically assign the westbound through and right turn lanes so they can both be used as right turn lanes in the morning and through lanes at other times. These improvements are also necessary to accommodate the additional turn lane being added at the Wilcox intersection and provide the most efficient use of existing pavement and number of lanes.
It should be noted, CDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) control the approval of improvements related to I-25. At this time, Public Works is working with CDOT and FHWA to acquire approval of a Minor Interchange Modification Request (MIMR) and subsequent approval of the I-25 improvement plans. In the event, CDOT and FHWA do not approve the I-25 work on a timely basis; Public Works intends to complete the work at the intersections of Wilcox Street and Perry Street. Public Works would continue to work with CDOT to gain approval of the MIMR and plans necessary for the I-25 work.
Schedule
Construction is planned to commence when weather permits in early spring. Completion dependent upon selected construction phasing, estimated range of 2-3 months to complete project.
Budget Impact
The Town has $3,050,000 budgeted for the 2016 project construction. It is estimated the project will be built within the budgeted amount.
Attachments
Attachment A: Plum Creek Parkway and Perry Exhibit
Attachment B: Plum Creek Parkway and Wilcox Exhibit
Attachment C: Plum Creek Parkway and I-25 Exhibit