Editorial: Loss of I-25 funding grant should not deter promotion of the project

Don’t give up.

Recent word that Colorado failed in its bid to secure part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s $1 billion National Disaster Resilience Competition grants was a disappointment to those interested in improving Interstate 25 through Northern Colorado.

Colorado was among 40 finalists for the program, but the state was dropped from the list of 13 winning bidders when winners were announced in late January. The Colorado Department of Transportation had hoped to secure $90.9 million to improve bridges over the Big Thompson, Little Thompson, Poudre and St. Vrain rivers on I-25. The state sought $273.2 million overall for a variety of projects made necessary by flooding and wildfires.

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State officials pointed out that the closure of the northern I-25 corridor during the 2013 floods caused an economic loss of about $66 million, with floodwaters damaging highway crossings at those rivers.

We hope that CDOT and broader coalitions working to widen I-25 to three lanes in each direction between Colorado Highways 66 and 14 will continue to seek any and every available dollar that will advance the much-needed upgrade to the interstate.

Disasters such as flooding help define the need for improvements to I-25 on a dramatic scale, but commuters who travel on the corridor every day understand the desperate need for improvements.

I-25 has become the “Main Street” of Northern Colorado, linking communities in Larimer and Weld counties. But it’s also a vital thoroughfare connecting Northern Colorado’s population of 600,000 with the Denver metropolitan area, Denver International Airport, and much more.

While the loss of a potential funding grant is painful — and inexplicable, given the need — responsibility for transportation needs is not limited to HUD, nor should a HUD grant be the only way to get critical projects funded. Congressional and Colorado legislative leaders must realize that governmental funding for roads, bridges and other infrastructure is essential and a responsibility of government.

Local jurisdictions, including cities and counties, have come forward with some funding solutions. But a project of this magnitude requires federal and state participation.

So how about it, congressional and legislative leaders? Where is your solution to fund vital transportation projects not only in Northern Colorado but also in Colorado Springs and the Interstate 70 corridor?

We know that we — and civic, business and government leaders in the region — won’t give up until improvements are under way.