Construction To Begin On Foothills Parkway Underpass

BOULDER, CO — Construction on the Foothills Parkway Bike and Pedestrian Underpass is slated to begin Monday, Sept. 23. The city will also replace the existing bridge, which is at the end of its service life and doesn’t meet current ADA or bike facility guidelines for accessibility and design, City of Boulder officials said. The $4.4 million project is funded with $3.2 million in federal transportation funds and $1.2 million in city transportation funds.

The underpass is expected to take about one year to complete, city officials said.

Park East Park will remain open during construction; however, due to new sidewalks being installed along the south side and Colorado Avenue, there may be intermittent disruptions to adjacent bicycle and pedestrian paths, officials said.

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There will be minimal disruption of vehicle traffic; however, drivers can expect occasional off-peak lane closures, the city said. Four lanes of Foothills Parkway will remain open and be shifted to the east side during the first phase of construction. The posted speed limit in the construction area will be reduced to 30 mph to maintain the safety of workers and the public.

Tree relocation has been a part of the pre-construction process for the Foothills Parkway underpass project.

"The city recognizes the importance of trees and has worked diligently and responsibly to transplant and plant new trees to replace those removed," the City of Boulder stated in a media release.

Last April, in advance of the project, six trees were transplanted to the Flatirons Golf Course, while the remaining 10 trees were transplanted to the Arapahoe Avenue Underpass project at the east end of the Civic Area near Broadway and 13th Street. An additional tree growing near the roadway was transplanted to a new location within Park East Park.