Motorists can expect traffic congestion at the intersection of Camino del Rio, Main Avenue and 14th Street over the next several weeks as the Colorado Department of Transportation completes its signal improvement project.
Last week, the Colorado Department of Transportation began working on the project scheduled to be completed at the end of November.
CDOT officials said upon completion, traffic flow at the intersection will be improved. Southbound motorists will have one dedicated through lane to Main Avenue, with left turns onto East 14th Street prohibited. Additionally, two dedicated right-turn lanes will be available for southbound traffic onto Camino del Rio.
“The 30-year-old signal infrastructure at this busy downtown intersection needs upgrading to better support interactions between pedestrians and motorists,” said CDOT Regional Transportation Director Julie Constan in a news release. “Pedestrian safety at the intersection has been a growing concern due to blind spots, outdated signalization technology and noncompliant crosswalks.”
CDOT spokeswoman Lisa Schwantes said the changes will help prevent southbound traffic on Main Avenue from piling up at the intersection. Currently, the intersection allows the left two southbound lanes to continue on Main Avenue or the option to turn left on East 14th Street or right onto Camino del Rio.
The current layout forces drivers wanting to turn left or right to wait behind motorists stopped at a red light attempting to continue straight on Main Avenue.
The lane change will force motorists to get creative when accessing the Crossroads Center.
In order to access the Crossroads Center, drivers will have to go through the light on Main Avenue and immediately turn left into the shopping center, which can be difficult in traffic. Or, another option is to go through the light, turn left on 13th Street and loop back around to East 14th Street via East Second Avenue.
Additional changes to the intersection include the removal of the north crosswalk and adjustments to the locations of the Camino del Rio and East 14th Street crosswalks. New sidewalks and ramps will be built at each corner to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The intersection is also a crossing for the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The project, coordinated with the D&SNG and initiated by the city of Durango, aims to improve the intersection.
As part of the project, the D&SNG plans to improve accessibility for wheel-based travel by installing smoother concrete pedestrian crossings at the railroad tracks.
Bikes and wheelchairs will have an easier time crossing the tracks. An improved train signal will also be installed for pedestrians and motorists.
“We look forward to the improvements in vehicle and pedestrian traffic and its interface with our railroad crossing,” D&SNG General Manager Jeff Johnson said.
Work will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday. In late October, 14th Street and Main Avenue will be fully closed in order to install the train signal and complete crossing upgrades.
Late night 15-minute closures are also anticipated when crews work on the intersection’s overhead signals.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
