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North Broomfield's boom is creating backups on Highway 7

'Our Colorado' looks at Broomfield booming growth
Posted at 6:07 PM, May 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-18 20:27:55-04

Editor's Note: 'Our Colorado' stories help natives and newcomers navigate the challenges related to our rapidly growing state, including real estate and development, homelessness, transportation and more. To comment on this or other 360 stories, email us at OurCO@TheDenverChannel.com. See more 'Our Colorado' stories here.

BROOMFIELD, Colo. -- Construction is booming in our Colorado, and it's not only in Denver.

Take a drive 20 minutes north on I-25 and there's plenty of sounds of progress in North Broomfield.

"Ikea will be right behind us, this will be a Wendy's," Broomfield's deputy county manager Kevin Standbridge explained. "To the west is the Anthem residential neighborhood. There's a new King Soopers."

All along State Highway 7, they're building new houses, new hospitals, and new traffic.

"We're starting to get a little bit more which is nice, but Highway 7 is getting crowded," said Anthem resident Jenniliie Childs.

Childs said she moved to North Broomfield with her family a year ago, and in that short time she's noticed a difference.

"I take my kids around 7:30 a.m. and you can just tell," she said. "It's all the way backed up almost to I-25 every day."

"I've lived here for three years and every year it becomes even far more congested," said another Anthem resident Terrence Reilly.

"We're working on it," said Standbridge.

He said the city and county understand resident's frustrations.

"We don't have the luxury in Colorado of building roads before the traffic comes. We build it as the traffic is coming," said Standbridge.

Standbridge also said developers have fronted the money to widen parts of Highway 7 and a task force made up of city leaders in surrounding communities have a plan to expand it.

"Probably into a four-land roadway with bus rapid transit lanes on the right side, bicycle lanes, wide expansive trails," he said.

The only thing missing right now is the money.

"Lots of money. Hundreds of millions of dollars," said Standbridge.

The City and County of Broomfield believes talks of a potential state wide sales tax increase could be the solution to their state highway's problems.

"The biggest challenge is transportation," said Standbridge. "The state is very limited in its resources for transportation. There's discussion of an increased sales tax and there's a reason for that."

"I'm a little nervous about the Ikea, I'll be honest," said Childs. "I don't know how many parking places that place has, but they have to have their own garage so it's busy."

For homeowners like her, they're bracing for the booming future and hope something gives, soon.  

"Come on just fix the roads, it's great here," said Reilly.