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WELCOME
Happy New Year! 2009 is here
and full construction on the West Corridor will begin in
earnest this spring. The long-awaited West Corridor Full
Funding Grant Agreement from the Federal Transit
Administration was signed this month and secures the $308
million in federal funding for the project. Now more
than ever, it’s important for you to keep informed by becoming
a subscriber to our e-newsletter, visiting the West Corridor
Web site often and utilizing the tools that have been
established to keep you updated on progress and impacts.
To get the latest information on construction and road
closures please click
here to connect to the West Corridor Web
site.
January 2009
In this issue you will
find:
Construction Update – Read about current
and anticipated construction activities
A look back at
2008 – Find out about the accomplishments and milestones
of the West Corridor in 2008
A look forward to 2009
– What activities can you expect in 2009?
Project
Spotlight –Learn more about RTD’s West Corridor Public
Information Manager – Brenda Tierney
How do I get or
stay involved? Find out where to get more
information on meetings and events, and the best ways to have
your questions answered
CONSTRUCTION
UPDATE
Lakewood Dry Gulch
The light rail bridges in
the Dry Gulch are nearly complete. Crews are working on
final touches including bridge railing, fences and
waterproofing. When the bridges are complete, the
construction team will begin placement of the MSE
(Mechanically Stabilized Earth) walls, or retaining walls for
the bridge approaches. Wall construction will continue
through the summer.
The pedestrian bridge at Wolff
Street is set and work continues on the pedestrian bridges at
Hazel Court and Tennyson Street. Anticipated completion
of the pedestrian bridges is early spring of
2009.
Storm Sewer/Storm Drainage
Upgrades
Crews will soon begin working on improvements
to the storm drainage system on the west side of Lamar from
11th Avenue north to 13th Avenue. Work at this location will
require lane closures, but the street will remain open.
Street parking on the west side of Lamar could be limited
during construction. Dependent upon weather, the
activities in this area will continue through
mid-February.
Kipling Walls
Mechanically
Stabilized Earth (MSE) walls are now being placed for the
light rail bridge approaches on both the east and west sides
of Kipling Street. Crews will continue working on these
walls for several months, but as indicated before, this work
should not impact traffic, as crews will be working in the RTD
right-of-way along the rail bed. You may, however,
experience construction equipment moving in and out at the
intersections of Lakewood Heights Drive and Kipling Street on
the east and 13th Avenue and Kipling Street on the
west.
Utility Relocations
Lakewood Sanitary
Sewer’s system upgrades will be completed by early February
and Consolidated Mutual Water’s relocation project is nearing
completion as well. Local utility providers including
Qwest, Comcast and Xcel Energy continue their relocation
activities to make way for construction of the West Corridor
light rail line. To see a current schedule for utility
relocations, click
here.
A LOOK BACK AT 2008
2008 was a year
of progress for the West Corridor. While physical
evidence of construction developed slowly, the achievements
were noteworthy. April marked the beginning of early
construction on the West Corridor, as crews embarked on their
first activity – the Kipling Street Bridge. Girders for
this bridge were set in June, and the structure stands over
Kipling Street in anticipation of construction of the approach
walls. From Kipling Street, the construction team moved
to Denver’s Lakewood Dry Gulch area and started construction
on three light rail bridges and two pedestrian bridges.
Both light rail bridges are nearly complete
and the pedestrian bridge over Wolff Street is in place.
Finally, essential utility upgrades began in early October and
crews completed projects on 13th Avenue at Pikeview, Holland,
Quail and West Collins Avenue.
In early June, RTD and
Denver Transit Construction Group reached agreement on a
Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for construction of the West
Corridor. While this agreement was a significant
milestone, it resulted in the unsettling task of deferring
some project elements to meet budget constraints. These
deferments were included in the 100% design plans that were
completed in late November.
Master agreements between
RTD and each of the affected jurisdictions were completed in
2008 and final right-of-way requirements for the corridor were
determined.
Throughout 2008 you’ve learned about
Conducts of Construction, construction safety and construction
methods. You were quick studies on noise walls and
Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) walls. You were
educated on Storm Water Management, property easements and
commodities pricing. You experienced road closures,
traffic impacts and increased noise levels as early
construction of the West Corridor moved forward.
The
West Corridor Public Information team distributed
approximately 35,250 e-newsletters, more than 150 construction
posters and hung close to 375 construction notification door
hangers. The West Corridor website was revised to
include construction activities, road closures and a
Construction Discussion forum. The team gave over 50
presentations to neighborhood groups and organized eight
Elected Officials Briefings.
And finally, the community
in RTD’s District M said goodbye to Director Dave Ruchman and
welcomed Matt Cohen as their representative on the RTD Board
of Directors.
A LOOK FORWARD TO
2009
What a way to start off a new year! The
Federal Transit Administration confirmed $308 million for the
West Corridor from the federal government at a special
ceremony on January 16. The funds will be dispersed to
RTD over the next few years.
The coming year will
bring RTD’s application to the Public Utilities Commission
(PUC) requesting that no bells be used on crossing gates in
the residential areas and final decisions on opting-out of
noise walls are due by the end of January – a task that
Lakewood and RTD have been working on since June
2007!
Now that 100% design has been reached and
the Issued For Construction (IFC) documents are close at hand,
Denver Transit Construction Group will gear up to begin major
construction on the West Corridor this year.
Current
schedules indicate DTCG will have crews working on structures
from one end of the line to the other by mid-summer. The
bridges at Colfax, Indiana and 6th Avenue will begin
construction in 2009. The Simms/Union tunnel is planned
to be completed and work on the parking structures at Jeffco
and the Denver Federal Center will be in full swing.
While we don’t anticipate completion of the bridges at
Federal, Sheridan or Wadsworth in 2009, construction on all of
these structures could be evident.
MSE
(mechanically stabilized earth) walls will be noticeable along
the corridor and the third party utility relocations should be
completed. While the majority of work in 2008 was being
completed by utility companies, Denver Transit Construction
Group will fully mobilize as the main contractor of
construction along the corridor in 2009.
PROJECT
SPOTLIGHT
 Brenda Tierney has been with the
Regional Transportation District for 21 years and now serves
as the RTD Public Information (PI) Manager for the West
Corridor and is a member of the overall FasTracks Program
Public Information Team. She managed the public
involvement during planning, design, construction and
implementation of Denver's first light rail line, the Central
Corridor. She also worked on PI during the design and
construction of the Central Platte Valley, and was involved in
PI during planning of Denver Union Station and the overall
FasTracks plan.
Prior to joining RTD in 1987 she taught
4th grade for a couple of years and was the catering director
for a local catering company. At RTD, she has held a
variety of positions in the Planning and Development
department as well as spending five years as the Executive
Manager to the RTD Board. She is also responsible for setting
up the art-n-Transit program at RTD and has been managing the
program for the last 14 years.
Brenda has been the hub
of public involvement for the West Corridor since its early
stages. She worked with stakeholders through planning
and design and continues to be an integral part of many
components of the project. Her expertise and knowledge
of the community and their needs will help to minimize impacts
as the West Corridor moves into full construction.
When
not working, Brenda enjoys traveling, gourmet cooking and home
renovations. She has degrees in Elementary Education and
Psychology and lives in Monument with her husband Chip, two
large dogs and a cat. Brenda has two grown sons, Ben and
Beau.
The West Corridor project team,
communities and stakeholders can rest assured that Brenda is
committed to helping take care of their needs as the project
moves into full construction. Her enthusiasm is
contagious, her energy immeasurable and her commitment
honorable. Brenda will ensure clear and concise
communications as the project advances and will always be
available to discuss your concerns.
How Can I Get
(or Stay) Involved?
One of the best ways to get the
latest information on the West Corridor construction phase is
to ensure we have your e-mail address. Our periodic e-mails
will provide you with information essential to being an active
participant. As the project evolves and develops, it will be
important to keep all members of the community informed on
construction activities. Tell your friends and neighbors to
sign up on our e-mail list to receive up-to-date information,
and if your e-mail address changes, please notify
us.
Don’t forget to visit our Web site where you’ll
find all the latest information about the West
Corridor.
Where Can I Get More Information?
Web
site: http://www.RTD-FasTracks.com
E Mail:
WestCorridor@RTD-FasTracks.com
Phone:
Kathy Berumen,
303-626.6762
Brenda Tierney, 303-299-2401
Mail:
RTD West Corridor
1560 Broadway Suite 700 FAS-WC
Denver, CO 80202
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