Highway 287 widening plan goes to public in April

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Folks who live and do business along Highway 287 north of Fort Collins will have a chance in April to see the final plan for widening the highway.

The Colorado Department of Transportation will host an informational meeting on April 12, 6 to 8 p.m., at the Aztlan Community Center. The center is located at 112 Willow St. in north Fort Collins.

At issue is a two-mile stretch of highway between State Highway 1 and the LaPorte bypass that will be widened from two lanes to four. While there's no money available now to do the work, CDOT considers the project to be a high priority. CDOT engineer David Martinez, who will be in charge of the design phase, said the agency hopes to begin construction between 2010 and 2012.

There will not be an opportunity at the April 12 meeting for public input, but Martinez said CDOT will go back to the community for ideas during the design phase.

In December, CDOT officials presented their revised plan to the Larimer County Commissioners. Business owners and residents along the route raised a ruckus about the agency's first plan, which called for a 175-foot right of way. The plan would have displaced eight businesses and 27 residences. The revised plan, with a 125-foot right of way, will displace three businesses and 16 residences.

Martinez said the reduced footprint has drawn a favorable response from most people in the area. To reduce the width of the right of way, CDOT plans to bury utilities beneath the sidewalks along the highway. The businesses that will still have to relocate under the new plan include Kathy's Furniture, Suburban Propane and North 287 Storage.

Martinez said the design phase of the project will start this summer and last about two years. The right-of-way process should begin in 2008, but the schedule for right-of-way acquisition will depend on when funds become available.

CDOT has been working on the widening project for more than seven years. The agency presented its initial recommendation late in 2004, then went back to the drawing board in response to the public outcry.

Approval for the new plan by the Federal Highway Administration is expected sometime soon.