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PROJECT OVERVIEW

Purpose And Need For This Project

The Owl Canyon corridor (generally the connection between the I-25 / Larimer County Road 70 interchange and the US 287 / Larimer County Road 72 intersection) is one of only two east-west roadway connections from north of the Fort Collins urban area to the State of Wyoming. Several miles of roadway are non-paved despite volumes (including both cars and trucks) that are in some areas more than three times above the County's paving threshold. This gravel surfaced road and other deficiencies throughout the corridor are creating maintenance, function, air quality and safety concerns.

The County has determined that paving and other improvements will eventually take place. Therefore, engineering staff has been directed to undertake this project and complete a corridor plan and conceptual design project to identify roadway alignments, function and safety improvement needs, and potential construction phasing. As a result of this effort, when funding becomes available, area improvements can be appropriately designed and constructed in a coordinated manner.

What We Are Doing (And What We're Not Doing)

This is a project that will include corridor planning and conceptual design intended to identify a specific alignment, necessary improvements to road surfacing, function, safety, and potential construction phasing to accommodate both the existing and likely future traffic using these County Roads.

Larimer County's Owl Canyon Corridor Project is neither a "truck bypass study" nor a continuation of any other previous effort. We recognize that both car and truck traffic currently utilize the corridor, many which have local origins and destinations, and some that utilize the corridor as a regional connection. Regardless, the current deficiencies need to be addressed and this project will provide the means to plan accordingly.

Corridor Map - Project Area

Generally, the project area is bordered by I-25 on the east, US 287 on the west, CR 70 on the south, and CR 72 on the north.   The Project Area Map [pdf, 9.6 Mb] shows the project area.

Summary Of Previous Studies In The Region

The History of Fort Collins Truck Route Planning Efforts [pdf, 4.2 Mb] provides a history of previous planning level studies in the region. The summary was created for the 2001 Truck Bypass study completed by the City of Fort Collins.

It is important to note that while a number of studies have been completed, Larimer County's Owl Canyon Corridor Project is unrelated to any of the previous efforts. The previous work generally focused on locating a "truck bypass" for the City of Fort Collins, and typically sought to identify (from a broad planning level) a 'bypass' route somewhere between Vine Drive in Fort Collins and Larimer County Road 80. None of these studies resulted in a consensus of alignment, approval by Larimer County, or identification/design of specific improvements.

What We've Done So Far
  • Identified that there are transportation issues in the Owl Canyon Corridor that need to be addressed by the County.
  • Outlined a Corridor Project, identified the project tasks, schedule, and determined the Public Information Program
  • Gathered existing data in the study area, identified likely future conditions and necessary roadway components
  • Introduced the project to the public (website, newsletter and open house) and compiled summary information.
  • Completed initial analysis of all road segments.
  • Identified three alignment options to study further.
  • Held Public Open House July 2nd from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Eyestone Elementary School in Wellington to share alignment options with the public.
What's Next
  • Detailed evaluation of three remaining alternatives will occur in July / August.
  • A public open house will be held in September to share information on the recommended alignment.





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