The reconstruction of Highway 160 on South Broadway between McElmo and Maple streets in Cortez that started in July has slowed after problems surfaced.
Nanci Regnier of Regnier & Associates, Inc., hired to be the public information officer for this project, said problems not known to the contractor delayed paving of the intersection at Seventh and Broadway for a few more weeks.
When crews excavated the intersection, they discovered contaminated soil and utility feeders that had to be lowered before work on the highway project could continue.
At an open house on June 28, the Colorado Department of Transportation said the goal was to have the work completed on Seventh Street by the time school starts on Monday, Aug. 27.
CDOT sent fliers out this week to schools in the vicinity, including Mesa Elementary and Montezuma-Cortez High School, and to other affected members of the community to tell them about the delays and work.
Regnier said that during the first few weeks of the new school year, crews will be completing the intersection improvements and paving operations at the Seventh Street intersection. Motorists should anticipate periodic closures along with lane reductions or lane shifts.
Once work is completed at the Seventh Street intersection in early September, crews will begin reconstructing South Broadway between McElmo and Maple streets, Regnier said. The work will include intersection safety improvements and signal installation at the interchange of highways 160 and 491.
For this phase of construction, travel lanes will shift to the southbound lanes of Broadway and will be reduced to one lane in each direction.
CDOT is asking parents and high school students of driving age to use caution while driving through the construction zone and to pay attention to flaggers and changing conditions such as lane closures, lane shifts, road closures and traffic control measures.
Alternate routes are recommended for parents and high school students traveling to Mesa Elementary, Cortez Middle School, MCHS and Cortez Seventh-day Adventist School.
Regnier reiterated that business access will be maintained through the duration of the project, but may be altered at times. A local business access lane will be provided adjacent to construction activities. Signs listing all businesses located within each block will be posted.
Regnier said people complaining about not seeing construction crews working on the project need to realize that work is still being done behind the scenes, with crews getting in place while discussing the design work. Crews will not be working from Friday, Aug. 31, through Monday, Sept. 3, because of the Labor Day weekend.
She asked residents with concerns to leave messages at the project hotline at (970) 744-6630 and promised that all calls will be returned.
Regnier said the unexpected delays should not affect the Dec. 15 completion date of the entire project.
michaelm@cortezjournal.com