Improvements to Change Travel Patterns for a Few Months
Denver – The City and County of Denver is continuing its work to improve stormwater management systems on Denver’s east side where much of the existing stormwater infrastructure dates to the 1930‘s and is undersized to meet drainage needs. A new phase of this work starts Monday to help mitigate persistent flooding issues during storm events.
Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) is partnering with Iron Woman Construction to install larger stormwater pipes in the area of E. 14th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. The work will start at E 14th Avenue and Jackson Street, head east and tunnel underneath Colorado Boulevard, then head south to Colorado Boulevard and East 13th Avenue. The project is a continuation of the city’s ongoing efforts to upgrade the capacity of the stormwater system in this area.
The improvement project that’s kicking off Monday Dec 4 will change travel patterns as people make their way east on E. 14th Avenue. The city’s detour route will allow local traffic only on E. 14th Avenue east of Josephine St. and encourage through-traffic to utilize E. 17th Avenue instead. A detour map is attached. National Jewish Health patients should proceed through the local-traffic-only portion of the closure at E 14th and Josephine to access the National Jewish Health Parking lot at E. 14th and Jackson Street.
The goal of the detour is to reduce the number of cars on E 14th Avenue where there’s a full street closure for the pipe installation from Jackson Street to Colorado Boulevard and prevent cut-through traffic in the neighborhoods. This travel configuration is anticipated to be in place for approximately four months, starting Monday, December 4, into April 2024. Residents and the traveling public can sign up for weekly construction updates and find project and contact information at bit.ly/JSStorm.
This phase of our stormwater system upgrades is expected to last through January 2025. We appreciate the public’s patience as we make these improvements to reduce flooding and protect life and property in Denver. The city’s plans are to continue upsizing this pipe system in the Upper Montclair Basin as funding allows, eventually making its way to Hale Parkway where known significant flooding locations have been identified.