On Monday, March 11, 2024, crews with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) began flagging along Highway 119 and tagging trees planned for removal for widening the road’s shoulder. Construction on the project is set to begin by the end of the month.

CDOT Communications Manager for Northeast Colorado Jared Fiel spoke to The Mountain-Ear and provided a press release about the project.

“The Colorado Department of Transportation will be removing a number of trees in CDOT right-of-way this week in advance of a safety project coming soon.

“The project is an asphalt mill and overlay project on CO 119 from the roundabout in Nederland to the junction with Coal Creek Canyon Road (mile marker 25.8 to mile marker 22.7). This project includes asphalt milling and overlay, some minor culvert rehabilitation work and shoulder widening to accommodate a consistent four-foot shoulder along this segment.

“The project has a floating start date from April 1 to May 28 to account for winter weather. The current project schedule is 60 working days.

“To accommodate the shoulder widening, there will be a number of trees removed within CDOT right-of-way during a preliminary construction phase. During tree removal, the contractor will need to utilize shoulder closures, and in some cases, one lane closures to ensure safety of the traveling public. All work will remain in CDOT ROW and all widening/tree removal will be done south of Eldora Road.

“This widening of the shoulder will improve safety for drivers and bicyclists.”

The press release has been included in its entirety, and does not contain any information regarding the creation of bicycle lanes or any other road infrastructure pertaining specifically to bicyclists. Town Administrator Miranda Fisher reiterated to The Mountain-Ear that the project was about creating a four-foot shoulder that will provide additional safety for both motorists and bicyclists.