Over the next 25 years, streets and roads will continue to play a vital role in transportation in Durango and La Plata County. As the area grows, the local roadway system will need to grow as well, according to findings of 2030 TRIP, a joint city/county transportation plan due for release in coming weeks. 2030 TRIP is forecasting a situation where traffic near and inside Durango city limits will be thickest. As a result, the study is recommending more than $113 million in street and road improvements over the next 25 years.

A key component of the recommended roadway plan is a direct connection from the fast-growing Grandview area to Ewing Mesa and then into the heart of Durango. This connection would be costly, coming in at $30 to $40 million. This new road also would cut through the heart of the Telegraph Trail System on Bureau of Land Management land east of Durango and increase traffic on a portion of State Highway 3. Without this connection, travel between Grandview and the rest of Durango will become very difficult and time consuming, according to 2030 TRIP.

Another major project, clocking in at just under $10 million, is the improvement of Florida Road. 2030 TRIP recommends the addition of a center turn lane, bike lanes and curb and gutter along the length of the corridor. Other changes to the local streetscape include the completion of 32nd Street as a three-lane road; improvements to the intersection of 32nd Street and County Road 250; major facelifts for the frontage roads paralleling U.S. Hwy 550/160 near the Durango Mall, and Wal-Mart and Home Depot; the extension of Jenkins Ranch Road to create a bypass through the Sky Ridge area; extension of Turner Drive in Bodo Park; and a new arterial off of County Road 235 in Grandview. Complete details are available at www.2030TRIP.com.

– Will Sands