All Larimer County Administrative Offices, District Attorney, Courts, Landfill, and Ranch Offices will be closed on November 27 to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. On November 28, Larimer County Administrative Services, District Attorney, and Ranch offices remain closed. The courts will be open until noon that day, and the Landfill will be open.
Critical county services are not disrupted by closures.
Larimer County has completed the preliminary design to address deteriorating pavement conditions on CR 54 (Douglas Road) and to add wider shoulders for bicyclists and pedestrians. The preliminary design includes turn lanes to provide safer ingress and egress from homes and neighborhoods along the roadway. The project limits will extend from CR 17 (Shields Street) to State Highway 1.
The project is currently on hold while funding sources are determined.
*The scope of work is dependent on funding availability. If full funding is not acquired, an overlay of the existing roadway will occur with no widening.
Besides overlaying the road, the proposed safety improvements include widened paved asphalt shoulders, and the addition of a center turn lane east of Swan Lane. Existing culverts and irrigation ditch crossings will be improved to meet current standards. The existing pavement section will be removed and replaced with new roadbase and asphalt. Construction is anticipated to occur in 2026 or 2027 depending on funding availability.
We understand that road construction can cause inconveniences including temporary delays. However, access will be maintained to properties and subdivisions throughout the duration of the project.
Larimer County Engineering staff encourages you to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.
*The scope of work is dependent on funding availability. If full funding is not acquired, an overlay of the existing roadway will occur with no widening.
Open House Summary
37 people signed in and (4) comment cards were submitted. The most common comments during the open house were regarding truck traffic, noise and speeding. The majority of citizens seemed supportive of improving the pavement condition and the 6’ wide paved shoulders. A portion of the citizens were in support of the 2-way center turn lane while others thought it was unnecessary. Several people that could not attend the meeting have contacted us with similar concerns.
Exhibits from Open House
The Douglas Road Conceptual Design Map shows the conceptual design for the Douglas Road Safety Improvement Project. The map includes highlighted sections of Douglas Road with proposed improvements.
Truck traffic continues to increase, and trucks utilize unmuffled jake brakes and speed regardless of the signage. What can Larimer County do to reduce the number of trucks? Can Larimer County restrict truck traffic?
CR 17, CR56 and Douglas are all mainline county roads, and we do not have the option of restricting trucks. Contacting the Sheriff’s department is the best way to deal with speeding concerns and use of unmuffled jake brakes (the number is 970-498-5357)
Will widening the shoulders and adding the center turn lane draw more traffic to the area? Is the center turn lane needed?
Traffic will increase regardless of whether we make these improvements or not and it has been our experience that these types of improvements do not attract additional traffic. The road widening addresses current safety concerns and provides additional capacity for all road users (bikes, pedestrians, and vehicles). The Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards, and Rural Area Road Standards were used to determine the need for the 2-way center turn lane.
How will the road work impact my property?
We will try to minimize impacts to private property, however in some cases improvements will extend outside the existing right-of-way causing fences to be reset and trees may need to be removed. We will work with individual property owners to minimize impacts to their property and to acquire any additional any additional right-of-way that is needed on a case-by-case basis.
Sight Distance at Swan Lane is very bad. Will sight distance be improved with the project?
We are somewhat constrained by steep grades, driveway tie-ins, and wetlands adjacent to the road. We will improve sight distance as much as possible while minimizing the impacts to mature trees and wetlands, however we may not be able to improve the sight distance as much as we would like to.
Douglas Road is very steep approaching County Road 17. Can you soften the grades to prevent people from sliding through the intersection in poor road conditions?
We cannot change the grades approaching the intersection because of the Jackson ditch crossing. As we continue with the design, we will look for other ways to improve safety at the intersection.
When will the project begin?
The project is still not fully funded so the soonest construction could begin would be 2026.
How long will the project take to construct?
8-12 months with utility relocations happening ahead and during road construction.
How will I access my home during construction?
There may be delays during construction; however, we will maintain access for the duration of the project. Detours from the east and west may be needed during various phases of construction.
Douglas Road currently has no passing for its entirety and should remain that way.
Passing restrictions will remain as they are today.
Will the Speed limit increase? Can you decrease the speed limit to 30?
The speed limit will remain 35 mph. We have no plans to lower or raise the speed limit with this project.
Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Larimer County will provide a reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with a disability who need assistance. Services can be arranged with at least seven business days' notice. Please email us at eng-general@co.larimer.co.us or by calling (970) 498-5700 or Relay Colorado 711. "Walk-in" requests for auxiliary aids and services will be honored to the extent possible but may be unavailable if advance notice is not provided.
