The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDoT) in the US is planning to carry out nearly $85.8m highway construction, traffic and safety, as well as maintenance projects in the south-western region of the state this year. 

The project works will address road safety improvements and preventative maintenance works that will be executed at 15-county service territory in south-west and south central Colorado. 

As part of the project, CDoT will be working on hundreds of miles of roadway, construction of bridges, culverts, crib walls, several intersections, as well as two town thoroughfares.

Transport authorities will be engaged in construction of new roads and will be carrying out repair works to the existing infrastructure that may include surface treatments, patchwork, and repair of structures such as bridges or retaining walls. 

As part of CDoT traffic and safety programme, officials will be involved in installation or upgrading signals, painting new striping on the roadway, installing rumble strips, new signage and carry out intersection improvements.

CDOT Region 5 Transportation director Mike McVaugh said: "We have a lot of work taking place throughout the region this summer.

"We have some unique projects as well; one includes the installation of 17 miles of fiber optic cable along US Highway 160 on the east side of Wolf Creek Pass, which will enhance technology for us in-house as well as for area communities, while another project replaces an aged historical bridge with a brand new structure on Colorado Highway 90 in the far reaches of Montrose County."

The south-west and south central Colorado region will see 19 construction projects totalling $72.45m, involving nearly 340 CDoT employees.

These projects will also be using services of local engineering firms, construction companies and subcontractors.

Around $8.4m have been allocated by the authorities for the seven projects that will be executed this year under ‘off-systems local agency projects’, which will be constructed outside or adjacent to the state highway system. 

"The transport authorities will be spending nearly $5m for maintaining these projects within CDoT’s south-west Colorado region."

Projects receive funds through various federal grants, which are administered by CDoT, as well as receive some additional financial support from the local agency or municipality involved with the project. 

The transport authorities will be spending nearly $5m for maintaining these projects within CDoT's south-west Colorado region. 

CDOT maintenance superintendent Greg Stacy said: "Our maintenance crews have transitioned from duties of winter work like snow removal to jobs that summer weather conditions allow us to take care of. 

"We ask motorists to be aware of work crews [that are] making improvements to US and state highways across the region. These work zones will include preventative surface treatments of crack sealing, chip sealing and overlays, as well as guardrail repairs and culvert repairs."

Image: Cars and buses moving on the road. Photo: courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net/Sira Anamwong.