The speed limit along the stretch of U.S. 285 that runs through Bailey could be significantly reduced in the future if the Colorado Department of Transportation successfully completes a speed study it says it wants to do.
According to Steve Harelson, CDOT’s Region 1 west program engineer, the agency began having discussions about reducing the speed after a tractor-trailer crashed into Aspen Peak Cellars last fall.
“We’ve had conversations about it,” said Harelson. “However, there’s a state statute that says within incorporated cities the speed has to be 25 miles per hour unless there’s another speed study done. Currently, there’s an older study that sets the speed limit around the curve (at Crow Hill) at 40 miles per hour.”
Though CDOT hasn’t scheduled a date for the Bailey speed study, the proposal is the latest attempt to address traffic issues along the 285 corridor.
Earlier this year, the agency announced plans to build an underpass for the Kings Valley Road intersection in Conifer after mounting pressure from area residents. The intersection has been the site of more than 50 crashes in recent years, including seven involving injuries and at least one fatality, according to the Colorado State Patrol. While the project is in the design phase, its completion is dependent upon funding from the state.
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