ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — There's good news for commuters, cyclists and pedestrians in the south part of the metro area.
After more than a year of construction and seeing a host of problems with everything from pedestrian access to traffic patterns, Arapahoe County has found a solution to improving safety and efficiency near the I-25 and Dry Creek Road interchange.
This includes improved lanes onto the I-25 on ramp from Dry Creek Road, reconstructed sidewalks, new roundabouts, a new bike lane, and enhanced curbs and ramps along Dry Creek Road that are ADA accessible.
Community members told Denver7 the area used to be a problem with so many speeding drivers.
One such improvement? The walk to work on Inverness Drive is now safer for Sumits Yoga studio manager Linh Nguyen.
“People would just zip by the street like really fast even if there [were] cops there,” said Nguyen.
The congestion issues were identified during a traffic study between 2015 and 2017 — and you can imagine how much it’s changed in the 10 years since then.
It’s why Arapahoe County leaders are investing more than $11 million to make navigating Dry Creek Road and Inverness Drive a lot easier for commuters and community members alike.
“The number of bike accidents and pedestrian accidents continued to increase, so we wanted to provide a corridor that provided safety for not just the traveling public and vehicles, but also pedestrians and bikes,” said Arapahoe County Transportation Division Manager Jim Katzer.
County officials told Denver7 the Inverness area and surrounding business parks are an economic hub for the region. This project is a long-term solution as the area keeps growing to allow for long-term connectivity through the county and beyond that.
“That’s really important to the county. We’re committed to doing that, especially along the corridor that’s close to the light rail station and close to business parks,” said Katzer.
It’s a solution residents like Nguyen are relieved to see.
“I think this area is actually very good at that. Like they make an effort to keep this place safe,” she said, “We’re flowing now, the chi’s flowing. It’s nice to have some peace of mind.”
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