
News
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Tuesday, March 4, 2025 2:52 PM
May- NE Ward 2 Infrastructure Developments
Ive been working with city staff on gather the information below since infrastructure is a hot topic in the Eastern area of Ward 2.
Frequently Asked Infrastructure Questions in the NE Aurora Area:
38th Ave Connections
• 38th from Himalaya to Odessa
o The Majestic Commerce Center development is going to be widening this segment
from 2 to 4-lanes. This has not been designed yet, and we do not currently have a
timeline for completion.
• 38th from Odessa to Picadilly
o This is connection will be jointly funded by ARTA, the Sand Creek Metro District,
the City of Aurora, and the City and County of Denver. The design has not been
done yet, and there is not a timeline for construction available at this time.
• 38th Ave from Tibet to E-470
o This is the responsibility of ARTA. They expect to start construction soon and
finish by the end of this year.
• Note: ARTA is also responsible for building 48th Avenue from E-470 to Aerotropolis Pkwy, and they will complete the connection near E470 this year. That will provide an alternate east/west route before 38th Ave is done.
6th Ave/Stephen D Hogan Pkwy Widening
• The City, in collaboration with CDOT, is conducting a study to implement interim improvements to 6th Avenue aimed at enhancing safety and operations. Due to funding
limitations, there are no plans to widen 6th Avenue from Airport Blvd to Piccadilly Road, which is owned and maintained by CDOT. When new developments are adjacent to the
roadway, the developer is responsible for constructing the necessary lanes, curbs, gutters, and sidewalks. In some cases, the City accepts a “deferral” to complete these
improvements when a larger project is more feasible.
• The widening of Hogan Parkway is the City’s responsibility due to a court order tied to the initial right-of-way acquisition. While the City is responsible for the roadway, developers must address right-of-way dedications, sidewalks, landscaping, and necessary
traffic signals.
• City staff are actively working with developers to prioritize Hogan Parkway widening as part of a proposed regional authority, along with other key projects like Gun Club
improvements near Murphy Creek.
We will keep the City Council informed and welcome
resident inquiries for updates.
6th & Catawba Traffic Signal
• The traffic signal at 6th & Catawba is under construction, managed by the City’s Traffic Engineering team. Work is nearly complete, and we’re awaiting Xcel to provide power.
Xcel is scheduled to finish by the end of May, after which the signal will undergo testing and inspection. The signal is expected to be operational by July, but it could be earlier
depending on Xcel’s work.
Powhaton Rd & 1st Ave Intersection
• For a traffic signal to be installed, federal criteria related to traffic volumes and safety
must be met. After evaluating the Powhaton Rd & 1st Ave intersection, we found the criteria are not yet met, though we anticipate they will be soon. The City recognizes the
value of a signal for school traffic patterns and plans to design the signal this year. The City currently only has 50% of the cost for this signal collected from adjacent development, and staff are working on a grant application to cover the additional cost.
The timeline for the signal project will depend on the outcome of the grant application.
Signal installation typically takes 2 years due to coordination with Xcel and equipment lead times, so the earliest it would be operational is 2027.
Little River St & 1st Ave Intersection
• The City received requests for a stop sign at this intersection due to speeding concerns.
However, stop signs are not a solution for speed control—they are for assigning right-of-
way. After collecting data, it was determined that the intersection does not meet the criteria for a 4-way stop. Therefore, no changes are planned at this time.
Colfax Ave & Powhaton Rd Intersection
• This intersection is owned by CDOT, not the City. Currently, there are no plans for a signal at this location from CDOT.
Powhaton Bridge Over I-70
• The Powhaton Bridge over I-70 is the responsibility of CDOT. CDOT recently informed the City that they have received approval to begin repairs, with milling set to start on
May 27. The repairs are expected to take 30 days, and the bridge will be closed for the duration. Detour information will be provided via VMS boards.
Colfax Extension Off Powhaton
• The City is not responsible for this project, and it is likely under CDOT’s jurisdiction.
Harvest Rd & 6th Ave Intersection
• The intersection at 6th & Harvest is planned for future signalization. However, as development progresses, additional roadwork is required, including the construction of a
4th leg to the north. A temporary signal is not feasible due to funding constraints. A recent safety review revealed that traffic signal warrants are not currently met, so the City is not proceeding with signal construction at this time.
Harvest Rd & 4th Ave Intersection
• There are intermittent requests for a traffic signal at Harvest Rd & 4th Ave, but the necessary criteria for signalization and all-way stop control have not been met. Protected pedestrian crossings are already in place at nearby intersections, and the City will
continue to monitor this location for future improvements.
6th Ave & Bison Wy (Vista Peak HS Access)
• 6th Avenue is a city road, while the access to the high school is a private roadway that is owned by the Aurora Public School District (APS).
• City staff have been working closely with Aurora Public School staff to address safety concerns. Before the movement was converted to a right-out only, there were multiple
crashes that involved a driver turning left out of the school access. City staff went over multiple options to convert this access to a right-out only and met with school staff in
May 2022. Due to the short timeframe, school staff moved forward with a quick implementation project that involves delineators and striping. This project has had a
significant safety benefit and crashes have decreased since its implementation. APS has also allocated funding to construct a raised turn island, which will help with driver
compliance. The turn island is being designed by city staff now, and should be constructed this summer. The city will also work with APS to install a right turn only sign as part of this project.
Powhaton Rd & 6th Ave Intersection
• Signalization is planned for the future at Powhaton & 6th. However, the necessary criteria for signalization have not been met, and the intersection is not fully developed.
The City will monitor the situation and assess future needs. Recent improvements,i ncluding signage and striping, have helped reduce resident requests and have shown no
crash pattern.
Jewell & Old Tom Morris
• Traffic engineering staff recently evaluated the Jewell & Old Tom Morris intersection. While traffic volumes and crash data do not currently meet the criteria for signalization,
they are expected to in the coming years. The City will proceed with the design of a traffic signal as part of the next annual design package, with construction anticipated
within two years, pending funding.
• This intersection does not meet criteria for an all-way stop, as there is no significant crash
pattern or high volume to justify it.
Jewell & Flatrock
• Jewell Ave is constructed with the width of a six-lane divided arterial at this location, but only the north half of the roadway is currently open to traffic; one through lane is striped
in the eastbound and westbound directions. This interim striping is in place because Jewell Ave is not fully widened east of Harvest Road, and the through lanes need to tie
into the existing section prior to that location. Flatrock Trl is a 2-lane collector roadway with a posted speed limit of 25 mph. This four-leg intersection is currently stop controlled along Flatrock Trl while traffic on Jewell Ave is free flowing.
• This intersection was recently evaluated by traffic engineering staff to see if criteria is met for a change in intersection control. Traffic volume data was collected, and a detailed
review of crash data was also completed as part of the evaluations. These reviews showed that warrants for signalization and stop control are not close to being met.
• In addition, staff performed a site visit a few months ago to review the sight distance and
overall layout of the intersection. Staff noted that sight distance was limited for northbound drivers. This intersection and the south half of Jewell is currently being modified by a contractor on behalf of a developer. City staff have been coordinating with
the developer to make changes to the signage and striping at the intersection to improve overall sight distance and driver awareness of the non-standard intersection
configuration. The developer prepared and implemented a new signing and striping design to improve sight distance and safety. The changes (made recently) included extending the long line striping along the south leg of Flatrock Trl and installing a
painted white stop bar and a new stop sign at the point where drivers are required to stop.
These changes make it clearer to drivers that they should pull forward further north to stop at the intersection, which improves the sight distance.
Powhaton Streetlights
• Powhaton is still under development, and streetlights will be installed by developers as the roadway is widened. The City does not have a program for installing streetlights
independently; they are put in place according to current standards as development
progresses.
General Information
Access Aurora
• The City’s customer service team, Access Aurora, can assist residents with any questions
or concerns. You can submit a request via the City’s website or use the phone app for
reporting maintenance issues.
High-Impact Traffic Control Work Zones
• The City updates a webpage every week with information about high-impact traffic
control work zones. Residents can sign up for weekly email updates. The City is also
working with Aurora Water on a closure of Powhaton for a project. Efforts are being
made to ensure this closure goes smoothly.
Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program
• The City offers a Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program (NTCP) to address speeding
concerns on local and collector streets. Residents can request traffic calming measures
such as speed cushions by submitting an application. For more details or to submit request, email trafficcalming@auroragov.org.