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I-25/SH392 Interchange Improvement Process
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Title
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Size
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 Draft Plan
October 12, 2007
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78 pages, 4.6m
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Draft Plan Summary
October 12, 2007
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8 pages, 759k
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Refined Funding Scenerios
June 5, 2007
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9 pages, 380k
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Land Use Vision Map
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tabloid, 5.3m
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Activity Center Map
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letter, 1.3m
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Schedule
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1 page, 47k
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CDOTs Preferred Interchange Design
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letter, 1.3m
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Potential Developable Land
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letter, 1.3m
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Fort Collins and Windsor Make Plans for I25/392 Interchange
On Monday, August 4, the Town Board of Windsor and the Fort Collins’ City Council, along with their respective City/Town Managers, met in a joint work session to discuss the I-25/State Highway 392 Interchange Improvement Project. Regional cooperation will be vital to carrying out the interchange improvements, which are expected to cost an estimated $23 million....read more.
In late August, the consultant team of DMJM-Harris will be hired jointly be the City and Windsor to perform the 1601 Study. DMJM-Harris was previously selected to administer the Request for Separate Action by the Town of Windsor.
On August 4th, the Fort Collins City Council and Windsor Town Board met as part of a special joint work session to continue the discussion on the partnership and establish key principles to use as direction for proceeding with further implementation.
On May 7th, the Federal Highway Administration approved the Request for Separate Action. This allows Fort Collins and Windsor to move forward with the 1601 Study.
In March 2008, City Council was presented with an agreement to implement a 1601 Study for the improvement of the I-25 and SH 392 interchange. The 1601 process is a CDOT-mandated process for seeking approval from the Federal Highway Administration to reconstruct or modify an interchange on the Interstate Highway System.
On November 26, 2007, the I-25/SH392 Interchange Improvement Plan was accepted by the Windsor Town Board. While the Fort Collins City Council was not prepared to accept this plan in December, later on March 4, 2008 Council approved two Intergovernmental Agreements to proceed with implementation and initiate the 1601 Study.
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Background
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There are two options to receive approval for interchange improvements as follows:
1. Wait for the current North I-25 EIS process being conducted by CDOT to be completed. The final EIS and Record of Decision (ROD) are tentatively scheduled to be completed at the end of 2009. According to the EIS Program, even with the completion of the ROD, a 1601 Study and design is still required, along with having financing in place. The earliest construction could begin in late 2011 - early 2012.
2. Pursue a parallel process by submitting to CDOT a Justification for Separate Action; if approved, this would allow the submittal of a CDOT 1601 Policy Directive, estimated to allow construction to begin potentially in late 2009 - 2010, saving critical time.
Based on a request by Metro Acquisitions, LLC (Metro ownership/development interest on properties on both the east and west sides of the Interchange), Windsor and City staff has determined it is more advantageous to pursue the second option. The three parties identified in the first IGA will request a justification for separate action from CDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The cost for this request will be shared between the Town, City and developer. If approved, the three parties can then proceed with an accelerated 1601 Process using a similar cost sharing arrangement.
Justification for Separate Action
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires that any "federal action" must undergo a process to assess the environmental impacts of such action. Since the Interchange is on an interstate highway, and because there are currently federal funds being considered for use in this effort, the improvements are considered a federal action.
Further complicating the matter is the fact that CDOT and the FHWA are currently performing a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) of the I-25 Corridor from Denver to north of Fort Collins. The EIS is evaluating a broad range of transportation issues and options, including the need to replace or upgrade the interchange. NEPA technical procedures require that if an element of the comprehensive solution is to be broken out or completed in advance of the final "record of decision", then it must be "separated" from the EIS. The separate action would then have its own planning and environmental process that is essentially what CDOT does for all of the projects in the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The process to separate involves a formal request to FHWA and a presentation regarding several policy points that insures that an adequate planning and public involvement process occurs along with the appropriate level of environmental analysis.
The I-25 EIS has been ongoing for approximately four years. Although CDOT is currently projecting late 2009 for issuance of a Final EIS (FEIS), and Record of Decision (ROD), observers predict that these will occur in 2010 at the earliest. The process has already been partly conducted for this Interchange, and much of the information previously provided is still relevant. Thus the Justification for Separate Action could take as little as 45 - 60 days. The Town of Windsor has initiated a contract with the consulting firm of DMJM - Harris to prepare the Justification for Separate Action.
CDOT 1601 Study
The 1601 Process is the Colorado Department of Transportation's policy to evaluate new interchanges or major improvements to existing interchanges along interstates and major highways. Since CDOT has earmarked 2 million dollars for the improvement of the I25/SH 392 Interchange, representing a shared funding proposal, the 1601 Process will follow a Type I (Local Agency Initiated Interchange Proposal) approval process, with the Transportation Commission as the approving authority. This process focuses on three issues: environmental clearance (if the project has not already been cleared through a NEPA process); technical feasibility, relates to operational acceptability - FHWA process is the Interstate Access Request (IAR); and identification of funding for the project. More specifically, the 1601 Process will initiate a feasibility study for the I-25/SH 392 Interchange and will include the following steps:
1. Operation and capacity
2. Identify all reasonable and feasible interchange access alternatives
3. Screen all of the alternatives (identify pros and cons)
4. Review environmental conditions in area
5. Work toward a single best alternative
6. Develop a funding plan
The 1601 Process serves as a framework for all of the steps involved in moving an interchange improvement from concept to construction. The purpose of the policy is that it represents a roadmap for local entities and that it will streamline the administrative procedures that must be followed. In this case, since the interchange already exists, and it is known to be functionally obsolete, the approval should be a relatively routine process as compared to developing a new interchange. Most of the discussion will relate to the environmental process and with the proposed public-private funding partnership which has yet to be fully defined.
The City/Town will submit its application for the 1601 Process based upon the recommendation of the North I-25 EIS identifying the I-25/SH 392 Interchange for a "Tight Diamond" configuration as a proposed final solution for reconstruction, avoiding impacts on adjacent aquatic and biological resources. This future conceptual design includes a 4-lane bridge (with turn lanes), ramps and frontage road alignments.
Additional environmental analysis may be necessary which will most likely include an Environmental Assessment (EA). Both the 1601 and the EA will utilize the data currently being collected as part of the EIS and SH 392 EOS, and contained in the Improvement Plan. The 1601 Process would be completed and approved prior to final design of the interchange improvements. It is anticipated that the Justification for Separate Action and CDOT 1601 Process will take approximately six months. Again, if the Justification for a Separate Action is denied, the alternative would be to wait for the North I-25 EIS to be completed in 2009/2010.
At the conclusion of the 1601 Process, the local jurisdictions review the results and recommendations of the consultants, based on the data, public input, and input from the local jurisdictions, and approve, refine, or reject the final report. When the local jurisdictions have approved the final report, it is presented to the CDOT Transportation Commission as part of a Type I approval process. The Commission reviews and approves the report at a public hearing and then the final report is reviewed/approved by the Transportation Commission.
As described in the Resolution, approval of the two IGA's does not commit the City to help fund the construction of the Interchange Improvements.
Staff will schedule work sessions with City Council to review the information developed in the 1601 Process report including design feasibility, environmental analysis and funding. The Windsor Town Board and City Council will hold hearings to approve of the findings of the 1601 Process report prior to approval by CDOT and FHWA.
Additional actions needed over the next two years include development of interchange preliminary design, completion of the North I-25 EIS and other environmental compliance actions by CDOT, and securing funding. Once all of this is completed and in place, reconstruction of the interchange can begin.
Plan Public Process
Request for Separate Action/1601 Study
Outreach meetings are planned throughout the process for both residents and key stakeholders from Windsor and from Fort Collins. Project Staff also plan regular written and in-person updates to the City Council and Town Board at key project milestones.
I-25/SH 392 Interchange Improvement Plan
Throughout each facet of the development of the I-25/SH 392 Interchange Improvement Plan, the process included public involvement and input from the key stakeholders including residents, property owners and businesses in the area. Two municipal websites provided the community with up-to-date information. The planning process was guided by a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), comprised of 29 members, including representatives from the City of Fort Collins, Town of Windsor, Larimer County, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Northern Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (NFRMPO), and consultants. In addition to the stakeholders meetings, the consulting team and representatives of the TAC also facilitated 2 public open houses to receive additional information, comments and feedback from the public. City staff presented updates and progress to the Planning and Zoning Board, Transportation Board and Land Conservation and Stewardship Board.
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Contact
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Pete Wray, Senior Planner, City of Fort Collins, 970-221-6376
Joe Plummer, Planning Director, Town of Windsor, 970-686-7476
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