After 40 years and 30 votes, the closest thing Aspen has to an entrance solution is almost done.
In the last five months, construction crews have been busy transforming 1.2 miles of two lane highway into two lanes with two dedicated transit lanes.
The bus-lanes project, approved by 63 percent of voters in the May 2007 city election, is projected to come in ahead of schedule, according to city officials.
Although the most significant piece of the project is the Buttermilk-to-roundabout stretch, the entire project actually encompasses 3 miles, since the bus lanes start at the Aspen Airport Business Center.
Rick Everist, project manager with Castle Rock Construction, the general contractor on the project, said he expects all paving to wrap up this week. The remaining tasks of landscaping the corridor, putting the finishing touches on new bus stops and paving the Buttermilk parking lot should be finished by the end of October, Everist said. The city's drop-dead deadline for the project's completion is Dec. 1.
City of Aspen Transportation Director John Krueger said the total cost of the project is just under $9 million. Voters were quoted a price of $8 million, but with all additional costs, including the extension of the bus lanes to the ABC and giving buses a 10-second head start at the ABC light, the price nears $9 million, Krueger said.
The project is funded with the county-wide half penny transportation sales tax and the funding is approved through the Elected Officials Transportation Committee, a body made up of elected officials from Aspen, Snowmass and Pitkin County.
Krueger said Castle Rock Construction has been a good, responsive contractor.
"They've really gotten after it," he said, adding that favorable weather this summer helped speed construction.
The project was referred to voters because allowing bus-only lanes on the new Maroon Creek Bridge technically represents a change in use from the 1990s-plan to install light rail lines on the bridge, which crosses dedicated open space. Any change in use of open space requires a vote.
Although the route now is marked with dirt piled on the side of the road, stripped pavement and traffic cones, it should get easier from here.
After paving wraps up next week, most of the efforts will be focused on landscaping.
"There's a lot of landscaping with this job," Everist said.
After the paving is done, landscaping and bus stop installments may require the contractors to block off some sections to traffic, but drivers and buses might get a few chances to use the new road before the project officially wraps up, Krueger said.
Some bus stops, such as the Truscott and the Aspen Country Inn stop, will be moved 30 to 40 feet from their current locations.
Everist said one challenge of the job was accommodating the various subcontractors in the tight confines of the highway corridor. But this summer's good weather was a huge plus, he said.
"I continue to appreciate drivers' patience," Everist said. "I think they'll enjoy the final product."
RFTA Implications
Roaring Fork Transportation Authority CEO Dan Blankenship said valley buses are already reaping benefits from the bus lanes, as the ABC-to-Buttermilk section of the project has been complete for months. When inbound morning traffic is backed up between Buttermilk and the ABC, buses can save up to four minutes, depending on traffic conditions, once the buses get back into line with cars at Buttermilk, he said.
When the entire project is complete, Blankenship said buses should be able to meet their scheduled times during the rush hour. That means getting from Rubey Park to the Brush Creek Intercept Lot in 15 minutes, a near impossibility now.
"There shouldn't be any reason why we can't maintain that schedule on a consistent basis," Blankenship said, adding that inconsistent bus schedules are one of the biggest issues faced by transit riders.
Although it will take a few months for RFTA to figure out the true implications of the bus lanes, Blankenship said it is likely that the reduction in travel times will allow RFTA to better utilize its back-up fleet of buses. For example, when buses get stuck in Aspen traffic for up to a half hour or more, RFTA deploys a back-up bus to El Jebel to keep the schedule from going completely belly up.
"We'll have to get a little experience to see how great the benefits are," Blankenship said.
The Old Bridge
The old Maroon Creek Bridge isn't going away, but giving it a useful second life won't happen immediately.
Krueger said the city would like to convert the bridge to pedestrian use, but funds are not available to complete the infrastructure on either side of the bridge to make it safe for pedestrians.
And if the community ever decides to build a light rail line, the old bridge could be recommissioned to carry trains across Maroon Creek, Krueger said.
curtis@aspendailynews.com