Visual Message Boards will be in place on Wednesday, March 15, to inform commuters of the upcoming closure. Construction will take place Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with weekend work as needed.
(Graphics: Renderings not meant to convey an exact appearance, but provide an approximate projection of the roundabout's appearance)
According to the Highway Safety Manual, roundabouts have reduced severe crashes by 78% over a stoplight. Furthermore, there’s been a 90% reduction in fatalities, a 76% reduction in injuries, and a 35% reduction in all crashes. The reasons for the improved safety are simple: roundabouts reduce speed and lead to less head on and sideswipe collisions. A study by the IIHS cites a 2004 study (Eisenman et al., 2004), that estimated that the conversion of 10 percent of the signalized intersections in the United States to roundabouts would have prevented approximately 51,000 crashes in 2018, including 231 fatal crashes and about 34,000 crashes involving injuries.
In order to expedite the building process and promote safety for the residents and construction workers, there will be a hard closure of 37th Street during construction at Sienna Avenue (East of 47th Avenue) and Cheyenne Dr (West of 47th Avenue) and is indicated by the red lines on the map. Detours are available, indicated in yellow on the map below, on 65th Avenue, US-34, 35th Avenue, and 49th Street. There will be traffic control in place to help travelers navigate the area safely. Detour signs will also be in place prior to construction.
**Local traffic will still have access outside of the hard closure areas.
Improving the condition of our streets is a top priority for the City of Evans. Since the residents of Evans passed a 1% Sales Tax for Street Maintenance and repair in 2019, the city has either completed, broke ground, or designed more than 40 infrastructure projects. The Phase I - 37th Street Widening roundabout project is partially funded by The Road Ahead 1% Sales Tax for Street Maintenance and repair. The City of Evans was also awarded a grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). The total cost of this construction project is approximately $4 million. The remainder of the project will be paid for by other city funds.
We recognize that roundabouts are a fairly new type of intersection and not everyone is familiar with how to navigate them. If you're unsure of how to use a roundabout, please watch this video from CDOT: Roundabouts Educational Video.