Southmoor Drive repaving set to finish by early August after erosion fix

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) -- Now that the threat of erosion from Fountain Creek has decreased, officials are moving ahead with repaving a half-mile of Southmoor Drive on the north side of town.

A visible sign of the upcoming work is the recent removal of concrete barriers, although several road closure signs remain in place between The American Legion post and Paladin Place.

A spokesman said that crews are expected to start milling -- removing the existing pavement -- on Tuesday.

AS KRDO 13's The Road Warrior reported in February, officials said that they will save money by allowing the contractor to recycle the old asphalt on-site, eliminating the need for fresh asphalt.

The Fountain Creek Watershed District spent more than $7 million on an erosion mitigation project that slows the velocity of water in the creek and reduces erosion of the steep banks under Southmoor that threatened to destroy it, along with nearby private property.

The $450,000 repaving project approved by the City Council includes installing a guardrail along the creek side of the street; the city hopes to finish work by the first week of August.

Closing the neighborhood street had a significant impact on drivers who considered it the quickest and safest route to reach Walmart and other businesses along Highway 85/87.

The closure led the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to redesign the intersection of the Highway at Carson Boulevard to provide safer access on and off the highway.

With the $320,000 the city will save by using recycled asphalt, officials will repave two other streets and perform chip-seal treatments on three more.