At the request of a 12-person task force made up of local business people, law enforcement and fire fighter personnel and organized by Main Street executive director Wendy DuBord, the Colorado Department of Transportation has undertaken a traffic study for Cleveland Avenue, the section of State Highway One which serves as Wellington’s main street.
Because of its status as a state highway, any changes that are made must be approved and will be funded by CDOT. A traffic study consultant was hired by CDOT to perform a traffic count using a mechanism to count vehicles. They also provided manpower to visually observe traffic patterns for a day, taking note of turns, congestion, and current lane striping. DuBord said that the area between Third and Fifth streets is a problem during busy times. Foot and vehicle traffic becomes heavy on Friday evenings in the area close to the Wellington Auction.
No major reconstruction will be possible because of limited CDOT funds, but restriping, identification of turn lanes and possibly a lighted crosswalk could become a reality by next spring.
“The one-lane each way bridge from the Wellington exit off I-25 is a concern,” DuBord said. “At busy times the traffic coming off the exit ramp often backs up causing a possibly dangerous situation.” CDOT is committed to investigating solutions for this problem.
DuBord said CDOT has been extremely responsive to citizen requests, sending three staff members and a consultant to a recent Main Streets meeting concerning traffic issues.
A meeting planned for early next year will recommend appropriate action to make crossing Cleveland Avenue and negotiating off I-25 and through town from either direction safer and easier.