You may be wondering what’s going on with all the construction near the Vine and Lemay intersection. Fort Collins residents have long been aware that this particular intersection is a disaster due to single lanes on all sides, plus the interference of the railroad crossing, which causes major traffic backups. The city has finally begun construction to help ease the congestion through this area, and according to their website, this is their No. 1 transportation capital improvement project.
Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash
Photo by Shane McClendon un Unsplash
The plan is to reroute Lemay Avenue East of where it currently sits, and construct an overpass leading across Vine and around the surrounding communities. A major upside of this improvement will be easier commute and access for residents currently living in the Alta Vista and Andersonville neighborhoods, who have to deal with the severe congestion on a daily basis, as well as increased safety for emergency and other vehicles, bicycles and pedestrian traffic. The downside is that Vine will not be directly connected to the new route, meaning commuters will still need to use the existing intersection to reach Vine.
Funding for the project, approved by the City Council last November, is a cool $24 million! Workers have begun roadway and drainage construction, with final bridge construction and paving slated for November of this year. For more information on this project and how it impacts the community, visit the city's transportation and construction updates here.