A town of around 9,000 residents in western Colorado may soon see new street, sidewalk, and bike lane work as the result of a $13.2 million federal grant.
The federal Department of Transportation has announced that it is awarding a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant to the town of Delta as one of half a dozen Colorado transportation infrastructure projects.
The Delta work will go for what is being called a “Revitalizing Main Street Project” that will see the reconstruction of the main thoroughfare in downtown Delta, as well as an upgrading of the sidewalks there to make them more Americans with Disabilities Act compliant.
The project will also see new landscaping and a blending of driving, walking, and biking facility needs. Delta Mayor Kevin Carlson said the project will help slow traffic in the downtown area on a street dotted with mostly small one-story commercial and some residential structures.
People traveling through in their vehicles at a more leisurely pace, Carlson told the Delta County Independent, “can notice our restaurants and public art, instead of driving as fast as possible, missing everything we have to offer.”
City officials began preliminary study work on a Main Street project more than a year ago, with the idea of reconfiguring the street in a way that supports traffic flow and area businesses.
Plans call for project design work to begin later this year, with an emphasis on public input.
Once a trading post, Delta endured a population drop to around 3,600 residents in the early 1970s, only to see those numbers increase to just over 9,000 according to the latest U.S. Census.
That increase is thought to be somewhat due to the town’s lower housing costs. While the average statewide rent for a one-bedroom apartment is around $1,300, apartments in Delta go for less than $900.
By Garry Boulard
