City of Grand Junction Projects with Travel Restrictions

Horizon Drive Crosswalks Project, from G Road to I-70

• Expect lane closures between the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm
• All business access will be provided
• Anticipated completion – late January.

F ½ Road Closure West of 31 Road – Lewis Wash Bridge Replacement Project

• F ½ Road will be closed to through traffic between 30 Road and 31 Road, 24/7
• Detour route will be in place
• Residents living west of Lewis Wash and Thunder Mountain Elementary School traffic use 30 Road
• Residents living east of Lewis Wash including Allegheny Drive use 31 Road
• Anticipated completion – mid-April.

Leaf Removal Program 

• City wide leaf pick-up began Monday, October 15
• Please slow down in neighborhoods where crews are working
• Traffic delays can be expected
• Anticipated completion – mid-December (weather permitting).

Sewer and Water Line Replacement Project

28 ¼ Road between Orchard Avenue and Brittany Avenue

• Expect lane shifts and delays
• Anticipated completion – late November.

---

---

Non-City of Grand Junction Projects with Travel Restrictions – This list reflects only the projects of which we have been notified.

I-70 Median Guardrail Replacement Project between the Horizon Drive and Clifton Interchanges – CDOT Project

• I-70 traffic at times will be reduced to one lane in each direction during work hours
• Speed limit will be reduced to 55 mph through construction zone
• Work hours will be Monday – Friday, 7am – 7pm (weather dependent)
• For additional information please email I70railreplacement@gmail.com or call 970-833-5264
• Anticipated completion – December.     

27 ¼ Road Realignment Project, north of H Road – Grand Junction Regional Airport Project    

• Motorists heading out to the desert may encounter delays
• Please be patient and slow down through the construction zone.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Ramp Improvement Project – CDOT Project

• Crews will be working at the following 3 locations this week: Broadway (CO 340)/Rice Street, I-70 off and on ramps at 24 Road, and 13th Street at Ute Avenue
  
• Watch for workers and please slow down
• No major traffic impacts expected
• For additional information email gjadarampproject@gmail.com or call 970-620-8686
• Anticipated completion March 2019.

2793 Riverside Pkwy. Utility Construction – Private Development Project

• Monday through Wednesday, between 7am & 5pm
• Alternating one-lane traffic just west of 28 Road
• Expect delays
  

2115 J Road Utility Construction – Ute Water Project

• Wednesday, November 21
• J Road between 21 Road and 21 ½ Road will be closed to thru traffic
• Resident access will be maintained
• Detour route will be in place.

---

Contact:  Sam Rainguet, Communications Manager   970-244-1507 or samr@gjcity.org

City of Grand Junction offices will be closed on Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23, in observance of Thanksgiving. There will be no trash collection on Thanksgiving Day.  Trash collection will be one day late for the remainder of the week. Thursday’s GJCRI recycling collection will take place on Thursday, November 29 and Friday’s recycling collection will take place on Friday, November 30. Parking in downtown metered parking spaces and in the Rood Avenue parking garage will be free of charge on 11/22 and 11/23.

Wishing a happy and safe Thanksgiving to you and your families!

---

 

City Council is in the process of reviewing the Recommended 2019 Budget with the final public hearing and adoption vote scheduled for December 5. The 2019 recommended spending budget was developed with an emphasis on the four Strategic Plan fundamentals of:

• Public safety
• Planning and infrastructure
• Diversification of the economic base
• Communication, outreach and engagement

These are built upon the guiding principles of partnerships and intergovernmental relationships, and fiscal responsibility.

Over 30% of the Recommended 2019 Budget will be devoted to the Strategic Directive of Public Safety. Twenty million dollars is proposed for service provision and capital for the Fire Department and $33.2 million is proposed for service provision for the Police Department, including the regional 911 Communication Center, which dispatches for 23 agencies throughout Mesa County. These Recommended Budget figures represent an increase over 2018 of $2.3 million (or 8%) for the Police Department and $1.7 million (or 9%) for the Fire Department.

Nine new personnel are recommended in the public safety departments in 2019 equating to 349 (132 in the Fire Department and 217 in the Police Department) of the City’s total recommended 653 full-time personnel. Increased overtime funding is also recommended for 2019 to address vacancy rates. The City implemented organization wide staff reductions in 2010 and again in 2016, however the number of personnel in the public safety departments increased, and will continue to do so as the City of Grand Junction works toward addressing unmet first responder capital and staffing needs.

2019 Recommended Budget Public Safety Addition Highlights

• The Fire Department will continue work on establishing a temporary ambulance station at Horizon Park on 27 and G Roads to provide better coverage in the north area of the City. Accordingly, a tenth ambulance will be added to the Fire Department fleet.
• The Police Department will add three police officers, one sergeant, one police service technician, and three personnel in the 911 Communication Center.
• Replacement and purchase of needed specialized public safety equipment including fire personal protective equipment, 800 MHZ radios, auto extrication equipment, bomb suits and rifles will continue.
• A new brush engine for additional Wildland Fire Team deployment will be purchased.
• Fire training components will be added to the Colorado Law Enforcement Training Center in Whitewater.

City Manager Greg Caton states, “Public safety is one of the primary service areas of any municipal government. This recommended budget and increase in staffing is reflective of that, but also reflective of the importance of providing high-caliber services to our community. The direct impact public safety has on quality of life cannot be overstated. Within the limited resources we have available we have found a way to continue to grow our public safety departments, but there is still much more that we hope to do in the future as the City of Grand Junction works toward addressing the unmet needs of additional first responder personnel and fire/EMS stations.”

---

The second public hearing on the 2019 Recommended Budget will be held at the December 5 City Council meeting after which City Council will vote on adoption of the budget.
Access to all 2019 Recommended Budget documents can be found on the City’s website.
The public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. in
the Grand Junction City Hall Auditorium and public comment is encouraged.

---

Contact:  Sam Rainguet, Communications Manager       970-244-1507 or samr@gjcity.org 

Construction began this week on a pedestrian safety improvement project on Horizon Drive between G Road and Interstate 70. Pedestrian presence in this area is common with people moving between the many motels, businesses, and restaurants. Up to this point, opportunities for pedestrians to cross Horizon Drive at a crosswalk or traffic signal have been limited to either the G Road intersection or the crosswalks at the I-70 Roundabouts; with almost one-half mile between those crossings. Tragically since 2010 there have been three fatal accidents involving pedestrians being struck by vehicles along this segment of Horizon Drive. This project will represent a significant step forward in the ongoing efforts to improve safety for all forms of transportation on Horizon Drive.

The $335,741 project, which was awarded to PNCI Construction, Inc. of Grand Junction, will construct three pedestrian crossings, each featuring ADA accessible ramps, improved street lighting, median refuge areas, and pedestrian-activated flashing beacons. The three crossings will be spaced evenly between G Road and the south roundabout at Visitor’s Way.

The project is partially funded by a $225,000 Federal Highway Administration Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant. An intergovernmental agreement was signed in July establishing the relationship between the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), acting on behalf of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the City of Grand Junction.

This summer’s construction projects focused on the underground utilities; replacing all of the water and sewer lines as well as installing the electrical conduits needed for the lighting and flashing beacons at the new pedestrian crossings. The street also received a new 2-inch-thick asphalt overlay to preserve the pavement section. The pedestrian improvements will conclude the street construction activities in this area with three enhanced pedestrian crossings between I-70 and G Road.

The project has a scheduled completion date in late January 2019. The concrete curb ramps and median refuge will be constructed first and will be finished relatively quickly. Due to longer delivery wait times, the street lighting and flashing beacons will be installed toward the end of the project. During construction the traveling public can expect daytime lane closures between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

---

Contact:  Sam Rainguet, Communications Manager       970-244-1507 or samr@gjcity.org 

A community meeting will be held on Thursday, November 15 at 6 p.m. at the Old Riverside School to discuss the redevelopment plans for the Riverfront at Dos Rios property between the Riverside neighborhood and the 5^th Street Bridge. There will also be an announcement of a grant award for improvements to Riverside Park and for the construction of a bicycle playground.

The City of Grand Junction has been working with Colorado West Land Trust, Riverside Educational Center, Riverside Task Force, and numerous other organizations to improve close to home opportunities for under-served community members to engage in healthy activities. Thanks to a $490,000 grant from the Colorado Health Foundation, plans for redevelopment of Riverside Park and development of a bike playground along the existing Riverfront Trail have become a reality. This project will encourage the Riverside neighborhood to better utilize the park and the trail as a means to improve their well-being.

---

For more information, please contact:
Traci Wieland, Deputy Director, 970-254-3846 or traciw@gjcity.org

Every year the City of Grand Junction distributes an Annual Report to the residents of Grand Junction in the form of a beautiful calendar. Delivery to homes and businesses will be underway very soon through the United States Postal Service so keep an eye on your mailbox or ask your mail carrier.

This year’s calendar emphasizes the rich outdoor recreation amenities we have available to us in the Grand Valley.

The City of Grand Junction Calendar and Annual Report is far more than just beautiful pictures taken by local photographers; it also serves several other purposes. As one of the City’s most widely distributed communication pieces, it presents a large amount of information including a recap of the previous year, dates of numerous upcoming community events, a comprehensive listing of meeting dates for all City Council and board/commission meetings, details about the City budget including where the funds come from and where they are spent, and a listing of useful City telephone numbers.

If you do not receive a copy of the calendar in the coming weeks, and would like to pick one up, you may do so at one of the following locations:

• City Hall, 250 North 5th Street
  • Customer Service Division (main floor)
  • Community Development Division (main floor)
  • City Clerk’s Office (main floor)
  • Administration (2^nd floor)
• Grand Junction Fire Department Administration, 625 Ute Avenue
• Grand Junction Police Department lobby, 555 Ute Avenue
• Visit Grand Junction Visitor’s Center, corner of Horizon Drive and I-70 (behind Taco Bell)
• Downtown Development Authority, 437 Colorado Avenue
• Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce, NW corner of 4th and Grand

---

Contact:  Sam Rainguet, Communications Manager       970-244-1507 or samr@gjcity.org

City of Grand Junction Projects with Travel Restrictions

Horizon Drive Crosswalks Project, from G Road to I-70

• Expect lane closures between the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm, Tuesday – Friday
• All business access will be provided
• Anticipated completion – mid-December.

F ½ Road Closure West of 31 Road – Lewis Wash Bridge Replacement Project

• F ½ Road will be closed to through traffic between 30 Road and 31 Road, 24/7
• Detour route will be in place
• Residents living west of Lewis Wash and Thunder Mountain Elementary School traffic use 30 Road
• Residents living east of Lewis Wash including Allegheny Drive use 31 Road
• Anticipated completion – mid-April.

Leaf Removal Program 

• City wide leaf pick-up began Monday, October 15
• Please slow down in neighborhoods where crews are working
• Traffic delays can be expected
• Anticipated completion – mid-December (weather permitting).

Sewer and Water Line Replacement Project

28 ¼ Road between Orchard Avenue and Brittany Avenue

• Expect lane shifts and delays
• Anticipated completion – late November.

---

---

Non-City of Grand Junction Projects with Travel Restrictions – This list reflects only the projects of which we have been notified.

I-70 Median Guardrail Replacement Project between the Horizon Drive and Clifton Interchanges – CDOT Project

• I-70 traffic at times will be reduced to one lane in each direction during work hours
• Speed limit will be reduced to 55 mph through construction zone
• Work hours will be Monday – Friday, 7am – 7pm (weather dependent)
• For additional information please email I70railreplacement@gmail.com or call 970-833-5264
• Anticipated completion – December.     

27 ¼ Road Realignment Project, north of H Road – Grand Junction Regional Airport Project    

• Motorists heading out to the desert this week may encounter delays
• Please be patient and slow down through the construction zone.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Ramp Improvement Project – CDOT Project

• Crews will be working at the following 2 locations this week: Broadway (CO 340)/Rice Street and I-70 off and on ramps at 24 Road
• Watch for workers and please slow down
• No major traffic impacts expected.

---

Contact:  Sam Rainguet, Communications Manager   970-244-1507 or samr@gjcity.org