Mike from Denver writes, “What is driving you crazy? What’s going on at the northern round about at I70/Pecos. It’s been closed down to one lane making it more confusing for people than it already is. I live in Chaffee Park and it’s driving me crazy. I’ve been hit in my truck there and nearly get hit every time I ride my Harley thru that disaster. What’s the reason behind the closure?”
Mike that is a simple answer, a partial rebuild and improvement to the northern Pecos roundabout at I-70. CDOT started the work a couple of weeks ago with the goal to improve traffic flow through the roundabout. Paul Jesaitis, transportation director for CDOT's Denver Metro region says, "These improvements at the northern Pecos Street roundabout will help motorists better navigate this busy interchange." When done the fencing will be changed so you can see better around the corner. The signs and the lane striping will also be improved as part of the project.
Looking at the number of crashes at the northern roundabout since it was built, you can see there is a need for improvements. According to Denver Police crash statistics for the past three years, the number of incidents jumped 39.1 percent from 2016 (23 accidents) to 2017 (32 accidents). As of the middle of May, there has been 16 accidents on the roundabout this year.
For the southern roundabout, the number of accidents more than doubled, a 233 percent increase from 2016 (6 accidents) to 2017 (20 accidents). The DPD statistics indicate there have not been any seriously bodily injuries or fatal crashes for either roundabout.
MORE: Read more traffic issues driving people crazy
The roundabouts were built as part of the bridge replacement of Pecos over I-70 that was completed in 2013. The bridge was build off site and rolled into place over a weekend.
The work on this project is only on the north side of Pecos at I-70. You can expect to see workers on most days from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, with most of the lane closures on the roundabout's inside lane. Only one full closure is expected at the end of the project to install signs, with a signed detour route in place. Overall the project will cost $484,000 and is expected to be done later this summer.
Denver7 traffic anchor Jayson Luber says he has been covering Denver-metro traffic since Ben-Hur was driving a chariot. (We believe the actual number is over 20 years.) He's obsessed with letting viewers know what's happening on their drive and the best way to avoid the problems that spring up. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or listen to his Driving You Crazy podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Podbean or YouTube.
