RTD Looks Back, con't.

Residents bore the pain of road closures, construction vehicle activity and an influx of workers into their neighborhoods. Demolition changed the landscape at Wadsworth and Sheridan Boulevards, as buildings were leveled and construction staging areas were set up.

Spring rolled in just as the 6th Avenue Bridge rolled into place. While the West Corridor PI team expected unhappy commuters as 6th Avenue closed for a weekend, we actually encountered eager and excited citizens as this “once in a lifetime” operation unfolded. The community viewing area was overflowing with thousands of people the entire weekend and the excitement spread as the bridge quickly completed its launch and landed on the north abutment. The “buzz” about the transporter, the unique construction methodology and the ceremonious flag raising overshadowed activities along the rest of the corridor, but that doesn’t mean things weren’t moving along quickly and efficiently.

While the 6th Avenue Bridge was the “big news”, a quiet beginning on several other activities surged forward. Encasement of the Rocky Mountain Ditch and the Wight Lateral were completed before the summer high-water-flow season began and miles of walls were set in place to define the light rail guideway. Several bridges continued to spiral upward and the installation of tunnel supports under Union Boulevard went practically unnoticed. The largest wall on the project at the Jefferson County Government Center twisted downward and 13th Avenue west of Wadsworth disappeared under mounds of dirt and pipe that devoured the roadway.

 

Summer brought an onslaught of workers to the West Corridor, as personnel working on the project skyrocketed to nearly 500 employees. Visible signs of construction were everywhere and the onslaught of activities along the entire 12.1 miles was fast and furious. Bridges over the South Platte River and the Consolidated Mainline freight tracks began their ascent and the huge abutments over 6th Avenue and Indiana were joined together by the bridge deck. A tunnel appeared under I-70 and walls emerged from the ground. Activities began inside the Federal Center and the first signs of rail welding took off just east of Harlan Street. Traffic on Sheridan Boulevard and Federal Boulevard switched to the west as crews moved construction activities to the east side structures. Underground work at the 12 stations that dot the West Corridor began and curbs and gutters appeared along roadways. CDOT’s sign bridge over 6th Avenue in Lakewood moved west and Howard Place in Denver moved north to accommodate the future Federal/Decatur passenger station. All in all, the summer activities gave way to an early fall milestone that saw construction reach 50% completion.

In the last few months, 13th Avenue became a roadway again, Ulysses Street re- opened sporting the first light rail track crossing, and crews began to demobilize after completing construction on the Indiana and 6th Avenue bridges. A new exit ramp from 6th Avenue to eastbound Colfax was put into place and crews began building the new Routt Street at the Federal Center. Construction of the parking garage at the Jefferson County Government Center began and rail became visible