Colorado Highways:
CDOT High-Priority Projects

The Colorado Department of Transportation in 1996 initiated its High-Priority Projects plan, a set of 28 projects across the state which CDOT committed to completing over the next approximately 25 years. The projects range from interchange reconstruction to major widening to resurfacing.

In 1999, a wrinkle was thrown in: Governor Bill Owens, elected in 1998, spearheaded an effort to speed up the projects through bonding large amounts of money. The legislature placed on the November 1999 ballot Referendum A, also known as the TRANs Measure. TRANs stands for Transportation Revenue Anticipation Notes, and allows the State of Colorado to issue bonds backed against future federal gas tax revenue, for the purpose of speeding up the projects. The measure passed with about 65% voting in favor of it.

TRANs are bonds which give the Colorado Department of Transportation a large influx of money now, and allow it to speed up many projects that would otherwise take longer to complete as the money slowly rolled in. The bond issue totaled $1.7 billion, while the total payback with interest will be at or below $2.3B. The bonds will be paid back gradually with federal gas tax money (18¢ a gallon) that is allocated to the state every year, along with state gas tax revenue. Taxes were not increased.

By issuing the bonds now and getting a large amount of cash upfront, CDOT is able to build many projects sooner. Since the interest rate on the bonds (probably 4% to 6%) will very likely be below the inflation of construction costs (probably 7% to 9%), money will be saved. The projects can be completed faster, thus tying up roadways with construction for a shorter period of time.

The reason this measure was on the ballot is because of Colorado's TABOR constitutional amendment. The "Taxpayer's Bill of Rights" forbids the state to go into debt without voter approval. When legislation was first introduced in early 1999 to implement TRANs, both the legislature and the Attorney General's office concluded TRANs were not truly debt, and would not need voter approval. However, the issue was brought before the state Supreme Court, which ruled TRANs did indeed constitute debt. Thus, the issue was put on the ballot for voter approval.

While the Bill Owens administration likes to take credit for speeding up the High-Priority Projects, it is the Roy Romer administration and the Colorado Transportation Commission which get credit for first identifying the 28 projects in 1996.

The CDOT High-Priority Projects

Not yet completed	Nearing completion	Completed
Current tally: Total High-Priority Projects: 28 Completed: 15

Project	1999 Cost	Status	Impact of TRANs Bonds
West Corridor Denver to Golden "congestion improvement"	Not set	Project not yet set	Unknown
Powers Boulevard Colorado Springs New freeway	$220M	• Some stages built as expressway to be converted to freeway at later date. • Platte/Powers interchange completed November 2001 • Research to Briargate completed June 2005 • Briargate to SH 83 completed September 2005 • Powers/Woodmen interchange under construction	Accelerated by 2 years to possible 2012 completion date
Pueblo Interchange reconstruction	$69.7M	Completed September 2002	None
S. Academy to Briargate Colorado Springs Major reconstruction & widening	$342.3M	Completed December 2007	Accelerated by 1 year
Colorado Springs to Denver "Congestion improvement"	$365M	• SH 105 interchange reconstruction: completed 2004 • Widening Wolfensberger to Founders: completed November 2007 • Founders/Meadows: completed 1998 • Widening to 6 lanes Founders to Lincoln: completed 2002 • Widening to 8 lanes Founders to Lincoln: at future date • Other stages at future date	Possibly accelerated to 2018 completion date
Southeast Corridor Douglas County to Broadway Major reconstruction, widening and light rail line	$593.6M	T-REX project. Roadway improvements completed August 2006. Light rail open November 2006.	Accelerated by 11 years
Mousetrap, Denver Interchange reconstruction and widening	$97.5M	Completed December 2003	None
North Denver Interchange reconstruction and widening	$146.5M	• WB I-270 connection: Completed 2000 • NB reconstruction and new exit to US 36: Completed 2000 • HOV direct connections: Completed 2001 • EB I-270 connection: Completed 2003 • SB 25 to EB 270 flyover: Completed November 2005 • EB 270 to EB 76 flyover: Under construction	Was accelerated by 1 year to 2005 completion date, but recession halted funding for final phase
SH 7 to SH 66 Major reconstruction & widening to 6 lanes	$81.5M	• SH 7 to SH 52: Completed 2004 • SH 52 to SH 119: Under construction • SH 119 to SH 66: Under construction	Accelerated by 3 years
SH 66 to Fort Collins "Congestion improvement"	$302.7M	Possible 2022 completion date	Unknown
Owl Canyon Rd to Wyoming Concrete resurfacing	-	Completed 1999	N/A. Completed prior to TRANs bonding
SH 257 to Greeley Major reconstruction & widening to 4 lanes	-	Completed 1998	N/A. Completed prior to TRANs bonding
Berthoud Pass East side reconstruction and widening	$74.8M	Completed November 2006	Accelerated by 2 years
Grand Junction to Delta Major reconstruction & widening to 4 lanes	$72.2M	Completed October 2004	Accelerated by 8 years
Mountain Corridor DIA to Vail "congestion improvement"	$1.1B	Project not yet set	Unknown
East Corridor Denver to DIA "congestion improvement"	Not set	Project not yet set	Unknown
Aurora to Kansas Concrete resurfacing	$121.6M	Completed October 2002	Accelerated by 5 years
120th Avenue Adams County Interchange reconstruction	$45.5M	Completed August 2002	Accelerated by 4 years
Carbondale to Aspen Major reconstruction & widening to 4 lanes	$185.9M	Completed November 2004	Accelerated by 1 year
Santa Fe Drive Corridor improvements south of Denver	-	Completed pre-1998	N/A. Completed prior to TRANs bonding
SH 3 to Florida River La Plata County Major reconstruction & widening to 4 lanes	$60.1M	• US 550 to SH 172 under construction • Other segments at future date	Accelerated by 2 years
Wolf Creek Pass Reconstruction	$68.4M	• Numerous stages completed 1990s-2004 • East-side tunnel completed 2004 • Additional stages at future date	Accelerated by 2 years to 2007 completion date
Aurora Interchange reconstruction	$85.4M	Completed October 2002	Accelerated by 8 years
Goddard Ranch Ct to Foxton Rd Jefferson County Major reconstruction & widening to 4 lanes	$63.1M	Completed November 2002	Accelerated by 6 years
Oklahoma to Limon Concrete resurfacing	$184.3M	Scheduled completion 2010	Accelerated by 3 years
Broomfield to Loveland Major reconstruction & widening to 4 lanes	$92.4M	Completed August 2006	Was on track to finish 1 year ahead of schedule, but soil problems on the Berthoud bypass caused delays
Extension to 6th Ave New freeway	-	Completed August 2000	N/A. Completed prior to TRANs bonding
New Mexico to Durango Major reconstruction & widening to 4 lanes	$48.8M	Possible 2007 completion date	None
Project	1999 Cost	Status	Impact of TRANs Bonds

Sources:

• 1999 "Blue Book" voter information packet issued by the state
• Rocky Mountain News article by Kevin Flynn, October 31, 2002

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Last updated 23 February 2008