Toll road could benefit Wellington

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Wellington economic leaders are keeping a close eye on House Bill 1030, legislation that could pave the way for a new toll road in Colorado.

The road, if it materializes, would parallel Interstate 25, about 25 miles to the east of the interstate. It would begin at I-25 near Wellington and would rejoin the interstate south of Pueblo.

Front Range Toll Road Co., a private firm based in Denver, claims to have financing lined up for the toll road and says construction could begin late in 2006 if all goes smoothly.

Since the road would begin near Wellington, it could mean economic gain for that community. According to Reggie Kemp, administrator for the Wellington Economic Development Association, "the closer it is to Wellington, the more advantageous for the community." He said that surveyors for the company have been working near Wellington to determine possible routes.

The estimated price tag for the project is $2 billion, according to spokesperson Ellen Dumm. The high-speed roadway is being touted as an efficient route for long-distance transportation, both commercial truck and rail. Spanning a length of 210 miles, it would have four highway lanes and two rail lines. The highway could be built in about three years, Dumm said, and the vehicle toll would likely run about 10 cents per mile.

HB 1030 authorizes the Colorado Highway Commission to set uniform toll rates for any private toll road that is located in more than one county. The bill does not touch on the issue of eminent domain. Front Range Toll Road would be able to condemn private property along the route because of an 1880s Colorado law enacted when the Pikes Peak toll road was built.

"It's a little bit unusual," Dumm admitted, for a private company to have the right of eminent domain.

HB 1030 passed the Colorado House of Representatives in February by a wide margin, despite concerns about the eminent domain issue. It is now in the lap of the Senate Transportation Committee, where it has not yet been scheduled for a committee hearing.

If the bill passes the state legislature, Dumm said, the company will begin work on the project immediately. The early stages of the process will include engineering work, land acquisition and preparation of an environmental impact statement. The company must also work with seven different counties to comply with local land-use regulations.

The proposed highway should appeal both to transportation companies and to communities along the Front Range, Dumm said, since it would pull some of the truck and train traffic out of congested urban areas. Communities would be safer, she said, and there would be fewer liability issues for the carriers. Dumm said the rail lines would likely be built first, and there will be space for light rail in case it is needed in the future.

The concept of a north-south toll road, sometimes called "super slab," has been tossed around for about 20 years. However, Front Range Toll Road has taken several steps to move the idea forward. The company has investors ready to go, Dumm said, as well as a claim on a 12-mile swath of property which she describes as "almost entirely agricultural land." The claim, similar to a mining claim, gives Front Range Toll Road the exclusive right to build a toll road in that corridor.

Sen. Steve Johnson said he likes the idea of a private company building a highway. "It's obvious that the state will never be in a position to do this, now or in the near future," he said.

The eminent domain issue makes him nervous, Johnson said, but he thinks it can be worked out. He sees the toll road as a "great advantage" for truck traffic and the transporting of hazardous waste. "It would make the metro area safer," he said.

The toll road would have an 85-miles-per-hour speed limit, with interchanges limited to areas where the toll road crosses major highways. No specific route has been drawn for the highway, but Dumm said the company wants to stay away from developed areas as much as possible. She added that the company would discourage development along the route by purchasing a mile of open space on each side of the roadway.

"Service pods," a concept that has been used on other toll roads, would be located on land between the northbound and southbound lanes. The pods, with services such as gas, food and lodging, would be accessible only to toll road users.

Ray Wells, president and CEO of Front Range Toll Road, has 25 years of experience in city and county management, said Dumm, most recently in Lakewood. He has overseen several smaller-scale public works projects in those positions.