Harmony Road Maintenance Project

Project | Funding | Schedule | Outreach | Related Plans | The Future | Contact

The Project

Background

In 2006, the City received funding from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to take over ownership and maintenance of Harmony Road from College Avenue to Strauss Cabin Road. The transfer of ownership from CDOT to the City came with a list of capital improvement needs for the corridor, including a pavement rehabilitation and asphalt overlay project from College Avenue to Timberline Road.

Another component of the project comes from the results of the City's Arterial Intersection Priority Study. The study identified the need for two right turn lanes at Harmony and Lemay and another at Harmony and Timberline. These turn lanes will help reduce vehicle delay and improve signal timing for the corridor.

The project will also include the demolition of an existing bridge under Lemay Avenue, just north of Harmony Road. This bridge used to serve as a conveyance structure for irrigation water along the Dixon Lateral. This irrigation channel is no longer in service and has become obsolete. The City will be able to remove the bridge from its inspection inventory by decommissioning it.

Additionally, the City has been working extensively with the Union Pacific Railroad to upgrade the existing at-grade crossing with Harmony Road. Safety improvements are required at this crossing prior to the construction of the 6-lane roadway. A new pedestrian connection on the north side of Harmony Road will be built as part of the agreement with Union Pacific.

Goals

Improve the safety and traffic flow for motorists and bicyclists
Eliminate the “bottleneck” at the crossing with the Union Pacific Railroad
Re-stripe Harmony Road to a 6-lane Arterial from Boardwalk Drive to Timberline Road
Provide dedicated right turn lanes to reduce vehicle delay

Improvements

The project will span along Harmony Road from College Avenue to Timberline Road and include various treatments for pavement rehabilitation. Minor asphalt widening will occur between Boardwalk and Timberline to accommodate the 6-lane roadway section. Two right turn lanes will also be added to Harmony at its intersection with Lemay Avenue as well as Timberline Road. The entire stretch of roadway will receive an asphalt overlay and re-striping after the turn lanes are built and the underlying pavement deficiencies have been corrected.

At the railroad crossing, just west of Timberline Road, antiquated tracks, warning signals, gates and wiring will be removed and replaced as part of the safety improvement agreement between the City and Union Pacific.

Several traffic signals will be relocated and/or replaced at the intersections of Boardwalk, Lemay, McMurry and Timberline. Pedestrian push buttons will be relocated to make them more accessible at a majority of the intersection corners.

Lemay Avenue
- Bridge demolition of the former Dixon Lateral structure
- Minor sidewalk removal and replacement
- Asphalt mill, overlay and restriping from the Bridge to Harmony Road
- A dedicated right turn lane (northbound Lemay to eastbound Harmony)
Harmony Road
- Pavement treatments from College to Timberline
- Asphalt overlay and restriping from College to Timberline
- 4-lane arterial roadway with on-street bike lanes from College to Boardwalk
- 6-lane arterial roadway with on-street bike lanes from Boardwalk to Timberline
- Improved Transfort bus stops with shelters in various locations on Harmony
Arterial/Major Intersections
- New and/or relocated traffic signals
- Dedicated right turn lanes at Lemay and Timberline
- ADA accessible curb ramps and crosswalks
Union Pacific Railroad Crossing
- New railroad tracks for the length of the crossing
- North side surface material extension for a proposed sidewalk crossing
- Construct a landscaped median on the west side of the tracks to eliminate the hazard of u-turning vehicles
- New signals and gates to meet current industry safety regulations

View close-ups of landscape illustrations > (PDF)

Funding

Harmony Maintenance Fund from CDOT (majority of the funding)
Building on Basics (BOB) Intersection Funds for the turn lanes and traffic signals
Bridge Program Funds for the demolition of the existing structure under Lemay
Street Maintenance Funds for the asphalt overlay on Lemay

Schedule

March 2012 through April 2012
- Pothole for existing utilities
- Relocate City Light and Power duct bank at Harmony and Lemay
- Property Owner meetings
- Advertise the project for bidding
May 2012 through August 2012
- Construction

Public Outreach

The City of Fort Collins will implement numerous communication tools to inform the public of the upcoming construction, traffic impacts and suggested alternate routes. Travelers can expect the following: digital information signs posted along the corridor, updates on FCTrip, Facebook (City of Fort Collins) and Twitter(@fortcollinsgov), and press releases sent to print, radio and television outlets. Also, project staff will host informational stations in front of key shopping centers along Harmony before construction begins to prepare the public.

Direct outreach will be conducted by project staff to all Harmony Road businesses. Business and property owners will be notified by mail and through door-to-door visits. Staff will also provide posters, informational flyers and business cards for retailers to display, spreading information to customers and employees.

Project staff will also be on hand at a public open house on Thursday, May 3. The open house will feature two important efforts surrounding Harmony Road: 1) Harmony Road Maintenance Project this summer, and 2) Harmony Road Enhanced Travel Corridor Master Plan that is just beginning. The open house will be an excellent opportunity to get details on both projects.

Open House - Harmony Road

Thursday May 3, 2012
4-7 PM
Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church
4501 South Lemay Avenue

In addition to the above, the City will share weekly updates regarding lane closures and traffic shifts via the project eNewsletter. Be sure to sign up at the top-right corner of this page if you'd like to receive notices.

The Future

The City's Transportation Planning department is just beginning a long-term planning effort known as the Harmony Road Enhanced Travel Corridor (ETC) Master Plan. This plan will augment and update existing transportation plans for the Harmony Corridor. The Harmony ETC Master Plan is intended to document the transportation, land use, environmental, economic, and social needs of this key corridor and determine the most appropriate corridor configuration. To learn more about this effort and get involved, visit fcgov.com/harmony.

Contact

Project staff is happy to answer any questions you may have.

Tim Kemp, Civil Engineer II
City of Fort Collins
970-416-2719 or