Owl Canyon gets county attention

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

Deciding what Owl Canyon Road could look like and should look like is the goal of the Larimer County Engineering Department as it collects public opinion over the next several months.

If and when there will ever be enough money to build the final concept is an issue for another day.

The Owl Canyon corridor, following County Roads 70 and 72, is the main east-west link between Interstate 25 and U.S. Highway 287 in northern Larimer County. Part is paved and part has a gravel surface.

This road has long been covered with controversy as Fort Collins eyed it as a truck bypass that would remove large truck traffic from city streets. Rural residents, however, object to becoming the city's transportation problem dumping ground. On the other hand, more northern county residents are now using the corridor to commute to jobs in Laramie, Cheyenne and Fort Collins.

"The Owl Canyon Corridor Project is neither a 'truck bypass study' nor a continuation of any other previous effort," the engineering department said on the county web site. "We recognize that both car and truck traffic currently utilize the corridor, many of 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."

The web site answers numerous questions about the current state of the road and what could happen next. There is a hot topics link at www.larimer.com.

The first public open house is scheduled for Feb. 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Eyestone Elementary School in Wellington. There will be no formal presentation, so citizens can stop by anytime to share comments and concerns. Those interested in the project may also call Martina Wilkinson at 498-5731.

"Things have changed in the Owl Canyon corridor over the last 15 years," Public Works Director Marc Engemoen told the county commissioners at a Jan. 24 work session.

For example, the number of vehicles using the corridor has increased three to four times in the last 10 years, he said. Volumes are as high as 2,100 vehicles per day along CR 70 just west of I-25 and as low as 120 vehicles per day along CR 72 west of CR 11. Between Highway 287 and CR 21, the graveled CR 72 sees more than 1,000 vehicles per day.

Wilkinson said that usually a daily vehicle count of 400 would prompt the county to pave a road to reduce ongoing maintenance costs.

The county's most immediate concern is increased traffic at the intersection of CR 15 and 70. For safety, the county will make the intersection a four-way stop with oversized stop signs on all corners and solar-powered flashing red lights on each sign. Rumble strips will also be constructed on approaches to the intersection. CR 70 already has stop signs, and the CR 15 signs will go up in March.

County Commissioner Kathay Rennels noted that the lack of a decision about future road construction in the Owl Canyon corridor puts a cloud over real estate transactions. "It's important that this county actually say 'This is the preferred route,' though we may not be able to build it," she said.

Wilkinson said the county does not anticipate the need for more than a two-lane roadway, but it should have shoulders for bicycle traffic and adequate drainage. She also said the county could consider strategically placed roundabouts to moderate traffic speed. For example, their diameter could be designed for speeds of 25 miles per hour.

"It's almost impossible to run a roundabout at a high rate of speed," Engemoen added.

Another important part of the corridor project is to determine the best north-south route to direct the majority of traffic moving between CR 70 and 72.