Feedback on Crowfoot Valley Road construction plans
Article and photo by Chris Michlewicz; graphic by Tim Gamble
Pictured above: Dan Sailer, director of public works for the Town of Castle Rock, talks to homeowners at an August 19 open house about proposed changes to the stretch of Crowfoot Valley Road between Knobcone Drive and Macanta Boulevard.
Google earth map showing the existing roadway and the stretch of road to be expanded.
The Town of Castle Rock and Douglas County are partnering on a road construction project that will widen a high-traffic section of Crowfoot Valley Road.
Design for the project is expected to be completed this year, with construction beginning in mid-2022, said Aaron Monks, project manager for the Town of Castle Rock.
The project team hosted an open house at Castle Rock Fire Station 155 on August 19 to seek feedback from nearby homeowners on the roadway cross-section options, including the widening of Crowfoot Valley Road – currently a two-lane road – from Knobcone Drive to Macanta Boulevard, just north of Founders Parkway.
Earlier in 2021, the Town received community input on future intersection traffic control options between Founders Parkway and Sapphire Pointe Boulevard. Feedback on right-turn lanes will be incorporated into the project, with future signalization of intersections occurring separately when conditions warrant.
Dozens of residents attended the open house and viewed preliminary design options. One longtime resident of Sapphire Pointe, which has a busy entry and exit off Crowfoot Valley Road just north of the fire station where the open house took place, said the improvements are long overdue, and said heavy traffic and high speeds have caused dangerous conditions resulting in a number of serious traffic accidents in the area. Traffic generated by new housing developments along Crowfoot Valley Road, coupled with an increase in commuters between Castle Rock and Parker, prompted the collaboration between the Town and Douglas County.
The proposed design narrows the existing lanes from 12 feet to 10.5 feet, and adds a lane to each direction of roadway. The narrowing of lanes and a slight curve in the road – known as “horizontal deflection” – is expected to mitigate speeds, Monks said.
The Town is also proposing the elimination of bike lanes, in favor of allowing bicycles and foot pedestrians to share a 10- to 12-foot-wide sidewalk.
Recent improvements have been completed at both ends of the section of roadway. The widening of Crowfoot Valley Road has long been a part of the Castle Rock Transportation Master Plan. Traffic will be impacted by intermittent lane closures.
Motorists who use Crowfoot Valley Road can stay up to date throughout the project by going to CRgov.com/Crowfoot.
