Greetings!
Due to unstable soil conditions encountered during work on the Connector Trail, Highway 74 is completely closed between Upper Bear Creek Road and Evergreen Dam, possibly through next Tuesday, April 21, while officials assess the issue and make repairs.
Jim Pokorny, a spokesman for GoodLand Construction, said workers were using heavy excavation equipment Sunday night when a crack opened in the ground below Highway 74 near the lookout across from Evergreen Dam. On Monday morning, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and representatives of GoodLand and Yenter assessed the crack and determined that it had potential to weaken the roadway, and needed to be repaired before work could resume.
It's not clear whether the crack was new or already present, but either way, it needs to be repaired and reinforced before work can resume to build the connector, says Pokorny.
The worst-case scenario is that it could take through Monday to repair, which would push the project 's timeline back by about a week. Evergreen Park & Recreation District (EPRD), which is acting as lead communicator for the project, will release a new road closures schedule later this week.
Construction on the connector trail next to Evergreen Lake Dam, which will create an accessible path between Evergreen Lake Park and downtown Evergreen, began on April 12 and was originally scheduled to continue till April 23. Watch EPRD's website, evergreenrecreation.com, for updates.
The 200-foot trail connection, a collaborative effort between EPRD and the Downtown Evergreen Economic District (DEED), will provide an alternative to the steep metal stairs on the north side of the dam, so that strollers and wheelchairs can travel that stretch of the trail around the lake.
The project was funded by a $250,000 grant from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and a $30,000 contribution from the Evergreen Legacy Fund (ELF), plus in-kind donations of services and material. (The Legacy Fund comes from a voluntary 1 percent donation on sales of products and services at businesses to support infrastructure.) After GoodLand Construction completes the trail, DEED will use Legacy funds to install railings.
Detours
Southbound motorists can detour onto Meadow Drive to get from Route 74 to Route 73 south toward Conifer. Residents living west on Upper Bear are urged to use Stagecoach Blvd. during closing hours. EPRD will post project updates and
a detour map
on its website,
www.evergreenrcreation.com
.
More Info
For more information, contact Dean Dalvit of the Downtown Evergreen Economic District at
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