With a combination of state funds and $3 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for “shovel-ready” projects, the City of Loveland, Colorado, is putting stimulus money to work to make long-needed improvements to their Crossroads Boulevard/Interstate 25 Interchange. Currently in phase two, the project involves constructing interim safety improvements including new I-25 entrance and exit ramps from Crossroads Boulevard and two large roundabouts at the ramp termini of the existing interchange.

Senator Michael Bennet visited Loveland on January 5 to survey progress on the $6.5 million project, which is expected to enhance traffic flow and reduce accidents for the approximately 24,000 motorists who use Crossroads Boulevard each day. The interchange is located in the Centerra Metropolitan District, part of the largest master-planned community in Northern Colorado and an area of rapid development over the past decade.

PBS&J is providing full construction management, inspection, and oversight of materials testing for the project, including coordinating with the City of Loveland, Centerra, the Colorado Department of Transportation, and other stakeholders, as well as implementing ARRA requirements.

The existing ramp intersections at Crossroads Boulevard are stop-controlled and spaced only 370 feet apart. East and west traffic along Crossroads Boulevard is one lane in each direction with no center left turn lane and is not controlled at the ramps. The new ramp construction and roundabouts at the ramp termini will help to alleviate the traffic flow squeeze under I-25 and enable through traffic to proceed while a left turn is being made. In spite of a challenging, compact working environment, the project is on schedule for completion in the summer of 2010.