By Shannon Lukens.
The closure of a section of the bus/bike lane along Hwy 40 at Old Fish Creek Falls Road is being disregarded by some bikers and pedestrians. The sidewalk from Hilltop Parkway to 3rd Street is also closed. It’s because of utility and excavation work being done on the pools at Old Town Hot Springs.
Garret Bock is a resident in the neighborhoods above the pools. He says he has seen people going around the closed area, into the lane on Hwy 40 to get through, since there isn’t a walkway right now.
“I’ve seen some kids do it. This afternoon, I saw a lady with a baby stroller pushing it. Everybody who walks this way makes this choice: bikes, pedestrians, all kinds.”
People were seen going around the barricades, into Hwy 40. This young person this morning, waited and made a phone call, before proceeding into the lane of traffic, around the barricades. They made it safely past the closed area.
This also happened just after heavy equipment was directed through the lane and a new hole started being dug into the concrete in the closed area.
Elise Thatcher is the Northwestern Colorado Communications Manager for the Colorado Department of Transportation. She says Old Town Hot Springs has the permit for the closure. Thatcher says all of the signage is up in the right places to not go through that section that is blocked off.
“It is really important for folks in the area to, if they’re bicycling or walking, especially if they’re walking their dogs, or walking their kiddo to school. You want to make sure you’re following the detour signs so that you’re not working in the flow of traffic. You want to make sure you’re following the detour signs so that you’re on a safe route to where you want to go.”
The detour is marked. The re-route is up to Hilltop Parkway and then across Highway 40. Then travel on the Core Trail to 3rd and Lincoln to cross. The people in this picture did not go past the barriers, and instead walked their dog up to Hilltop Parkway.
Thatcher says the closure started two weeks ago and CDOT says it will be closed for two more weeks until the sidewalk can be repaired. Vanessa Cory is the Operations Director for Old Town Hot Springs and she said the closure is expected to last three to seven more weeks.
Cory says, “Our construction team must follow the safety guidelines mandated by CDOT. We understand the temporary closure is an inconvenience, especially for those located on Old Fish Creek Falls Road. Please know that the team at Native Excavating is working diligently to complete the work as quickly and safely as possible. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and thank everyone for their patience and understanding.”