Real Estate & Construction August 20, 2018 7:39:21 pm

Large roundabout features Colorado symbol

A new roundabout 228-foot across at U.S. Highway 287 and Colorado Highway 1 in Northern Colorado features the Colorado state flag logo. Courtesy Colorado Department of Transportation.

By Jensen Werley

LAPORTE — The Colorado Department of Transportation has unveiled the design of the state’s largest roundabout on the state highway system. The 228-foot diameter roundabout is located on U.S. Highway 287 near Laporte.

The design features the Colorado logo in the center of the roundabout.

The roundabout is the centerpiece of a three-year project to make the stretch from Colorado Highway 1 to Laporte feature two 12-foot traffic lanes in each direction along with a center turn lane. Each side will also have a 10-foot wide concrete shoulder/bike lane and minimum 5-foot wide sidewalk. The previous roadway was two-lane asphalt.

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When it came time to address the center of the large roundabout, CDOT Project Manager Justin Pipe found a way to give the project a signature look, without adding anything to the cost of the project.

“Our team of CDOT staff and the contractor has been working on this project for the last two and a half years, and I knew we couldn’t leave this project without trying to do something special,” Pipe said in a written statement. “I started exploring different options with the contractor about what could be done without increasing costs. At the time, I was personally looking at getting into wood flag art so I was paying a lot more attention to both the American and Colorado flags. One day while I was out on the project, it hit me that the Colorado ‘C’ would fit perfectly in the circle and it grew from there. I thought the design would have universal appeal, or at least Colorado appeal.”

The project team moved traffic onto the roundabout last week.

The current project is on schedule to be completed by the end of the year, CDOT reported.

Motorists can expect moderate delays throughout the remainder of the project. One lane in each direction will remain open on U.S. 287 between Colorado Highway 1 and the Laporte Bypass throughout the project, with continuing shoulder closures, occasional lane shifts and temporary lane closures to allow for trucks and equipment entering the highway. Speed limits are reduced to 30 mph throughout the construction zone.

Construction hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.