Florence officials reveal plan to improve troubled Arrowhead Drive
FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Officials in the town of Florence will spend nearly $400,000 to improve a three-block stretch of Arrowhead Drive on the town's south side that has long been criticized by neighbors for its rough condition.
"I moved here in March," said Tommie Keeler, who lives along the troubled street. "I noticed it right away. My sister lives over here, and she says that it's been horrible for 20-plus years. It was in better shape when the county had it instead of Florence. I'll give them that. It was, because right now it's just what you've seen. It's terrible."
The improvement project -- expected to start soon on the hilly street -- will repave from just above Highland Avenue to Indian Hills Road and make other upgrades.
Among the concerns on Arrowhead: The east half is in good condition but the west half is in poor shape with crumbling pavement and numerous potholes; a crew recently filled many of the potholes.
Neighbors also wonder why the upper section of Arrowhead -- which will be repaired -- is narrower than the lower section that connects to Highway 67.
City Manager Amy Nasta said that the east half was built in 2020 and the west half was supposed to be built in 2022.
"There is no one who's currently working for the city (who) was involved in the decision-making process for that at the time," she explained. "So, we're uncertain why the decision was made to construct only the east half of the road and not the west half. But, all we can do is move forward with that now."
Nasta said that the city is using revenue from a 1/2% sales tax to finance the project; a start date for construction hasn't been announced but she said that it would begin this year.
A potentially larger concern looms, however; Nasta said that the area along Arrowhead needs approximately $4 million in drainage improvements that would include acquiring land to build a retention pond.
"We're in the early stages of determining how to address that," she said.
Arrowhead Drive is one of four significant road projects in or near Fremont County this year: The ongoing improvement of Highway 115 from Fort Carson to the Fremont County line is scheduled for completion this fall; the roundabout project at the interchange of US 50 and Highway 115 was finished three weeks ago, ahead of schedule; and the median/crosswalk project on US 50 near downtown Cañon City was done by Memorial Day weekend.
