The city of Fort Collins confirmed that they are moving forward with plans for a grade-separated crossing at the intersection of the Power Trail and Harmony Road. This bike/ped crossing has been a high-priority item for the city but funding for the project has been hard to come by. In January of this year, the city was awarded a $2.7 million grant through the Federal Highway Administration Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program but they’re still $3 million dollars away from being fully funded. The remaining funds are likely to come from grants which the city is actively pursuing. According to Dillon Willett, the project manager in the City’s Engineering Department, the tunnel should open sometime in 2024 depending on final funding.
The infrastructure will sadly come too late for Jim DeFazio who was struck and killed by a driver at the intersection of Harmony Rd and McMurry Ave on Monday, February 13th, 2023.
More information can be found below and on the city’s project website.
Via: Power Trail and Harmony Road Grade-Separated Crossing Project website
Project Goals
- Complete missing gap in Power Trail
- Improve safety and convenience for trail users
- Reduce number of pedestrians and bicyclists crossing Harmony Road at grade
- Provide aesthetically pleasing solution
Project Status
Preliminary design has been completed and progress towards full construction plans is underway. In January of 2023, the City was awarded a $2.7 million grant through the Federal Highway Administration Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program. The City is actively pursuing additional grant opportunities as they become available to fully fund the project for construction.
Funding
In 2015 a 10-year quarter-cent tax renewal, Community Capital Improvement Program (CCIP), was passed by voters. Part of the tax is dedicated to bike and pedestrian grade-separated crossings. Funding for the Power Trail and Harmony Road project has been identified from CCIP, a federal Transportation Alternatives Program grant and a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant through the Federal Highway Administration.
Schedule
- Feasibility Study: 2018-2019
- Preliminary Design: 2020
- Final Design: 2023
- Construction: 2024 – Contingent on final funding
Contact
Dillon Willett | Project Manager – Civil Engineer II | 907-726-7685 | dwillett@fcgov.com
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