Design work is now underway on a project that will see a reconfiguring of a major traffic corridor in Denver and the subsequent creation of bus-only lanes.
With an estimated cost of up to $300 million, the project will see busy East Colfax Avenue turned into a bus route to be used by the city’s Regional Transportation District.
Long anticipated, the project could see work launching later this year, with a possible 2026 completion date.
The Federal Transit Administration has just announced its intention to partially fund the project with just under $127 million in grant support.
After months of public input, the blueprint for the project will see bus-only lanes built on East Colfax between Broadway Street and Yosemite Street. From there, buses will travel in mixed traffic between Yosemite and Interstate 225, roughly 9 miles to the east.
What is officially called the Bus Rapid Transit is critical, remarked Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, “to providing more Denver residents more mobility options to move about their community.”
Additional funding for the project is coming through the Elevate Denver Bonds, which were approved by Denver voters in 2017, with $55 million going for the BRT, and another $15 million for East Colfax streetscaping.
By Garry Boulard
