Section Of Lee Hill Drive Closed To Cyclists

BOULDER COUNTY, CO — Boulder County Transportation has closed Lee Hill Drive to cycling between Olde Stage Road and Deer Trail Road. The closure is anticipated to last until the end of October, but will reopen sooner if roadwork is completed earlier, officials said.

"The road is closed due to extremely unsafe conditions," Boulder County Transportation said in an alert. "One lane of asphalt has been completely removed and there is now an approximately three-feet deep trench that is only protected by orange construction barrels when work is not taking place."

The closure has been effective since July 29; however officials said they've received many reports of cyclists continuing to ride on the road. The Boulder County Sheriff's Office has increased their patrols in the area and will be writing citations to anyone who violates the restriction, the county said.

The remaining asphalt is in poor condition and leaves only enough room for the widest emergency response vehicle to safely travel the road. The single-lane construction zone is currently 1,200 feet long, but it may grow as more guardrail is removed and installed, officials said. There is no guardrail along the excavated area, and the drop off below is almost vertical.

"We are only closing the road to maintain the safety of all roadway users. A crash between a cyclist and motor vehicle would almost certainly result in significant injury, or worse, and that is the last thing we want while we complete a safety enhancement project," officials said in the alert.

Boulder County Transportation has provided a map of the closure.