Situated between Fort Collins and Greeley, the Town of Windsor spans just 26.2 square miles across and its major east-west thoroughfares are impacted significantly by pass-through commuter traffic. At least that’s what Windsor staff think and what Town of Windsor Transportation Planner Eric Bracke, with 40 years of experience is working to determine.
Bracke, who recently worked through the Colorado Department of Transportation approval and permit process for a new pedestrian improvement installed at 5th and Main Street, is also working with CDOT on an alternative routes study in order to improve Main Street traffic.
The alternative route study will look at capturing data related to in-town and through-town commuter traffic. Data will be collected using geo-fence technology and it will help Windsor’s Town Board, Town Manager Shane Hale, and town planners and engineers determine whether staff look toward improving east-west traffic flows on the north side of town or if they should prioritize improvements on the south side. Once the study concludes, it’s possible that, at some point, both options might need to happen.
The Windsor 2022 Capital Improvement Program budget included $100,000 for the alternative route study.
At the same time, there’s other work happening to improve traffic flow on the highway.
On the west side of town, staff are working on the preliminary design the future widening of Highway 392 between Highland Meadows Parkway and Colorado Boulevard. This year, engineering staff worked with CDOT on completing a land and environmental survey. There is one bridge, one pedestrian trail underpass, a hill, a floodplain, and the general topography of the land that make widening that section of the highway expensive but the survey showed that widening is possible. After the design-phase is complete, road construction will be contingent upon securing future funding. The general cost for widening this section of the highway was estimated at $20 million, not including projected inflationary costs.
There’s also work in progress on the section of Highway 392 between 17th Street and Colorado Boulevard. Completion of this section is anticipated in the fall.
On the east side of town, Windsor staff are working with CDOT on design improvements for the intersection at Highway 392 and Hollister Lake Road.
Combined, $2.55 million was budgeted toward Highway 392 traffic flow improvements in 2022.
Leading up to all of the work that’s happening on Highway 392 in Windsor, town staff conducted numerous outreach events and meetings with the general public, stakeholders, Planning Commission and Town Board, all of which informed the 2020 Windsor Transportation Master Plan. Prior to that, CDOT conducted a study in 2019, the results of which were impacted by a proposed O Street connection project between Weld County, Greeley, and Windsor leaders.
And with that, Bracke will continue to collect data and study east-west alternatives concurrent to other staff and contractors who continue to work on Highway 392 traffic flow improvements.
For more information about Windsor’s Transportation Master Plan, visit windsorgov.com/1196/Transportation-Master-Plan. For information about Windsor’s commitment to fiscal transparency, visit windsorgov.com/finance.
