U.S. 287-S.H. 1 to LaPorte Bypass
Environmental Assessment
July 2000

This is the third in a series of fact sheets reporting on the status of the project. This fact sheet provides you with a summary of the information from the first Public Workshop held on May 4, 2000 and an update of the Environmental Assessment.

Project Background
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is conducting an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the 2.4 mile stretch of U.S. 287 between State Highway 1 (S.H. 1) and the LaPorte Bypass. The EA will investigate solutions to improving mobility and safety on the two-lane segment of U.S. 287 from S.H. 1 to the LaPorte Bypass. CDOT has been working closely with local, state, and federal agencies and the public as they move forward through the environmental assessment process.

Alternative Analysis
CDOT held a Public Workshop on May 4, 2000 to present the alternatives, discuss the results of initial screening and solicit public comments. CDOT had considered ten potential alignments; four along the existing U.S. 287 widening either to the north, south, both north and south or meandering, and six new alignments that connected U.S. 287 to the LaPorte Bypass as well as the No Action alternative (please refer to p. 4 for a map showing each of the alternatives). All ten alternatives were evaluated through a process based on the following criteria:

• impacts to habitat suitable for threatened and endangered species
• impacts to public parks and natural areas
• impacts to areas containing hazardous materials
• maintenance responsibilities for the route
• necessity of a new railroad crossing or overpass
• estimated residential relocations
• estimated commercial/industrial relocations
• preliminary Right-of-Way (ROW) procurement costs
• impacts to approved future residential development
• disruption to large farm land parcels
• socio-economic or environmental justice issues
• preliminary estimate of roadway, bridge and utility costs

The initial evaluation resulted in two alignments to be carried forward into the environmental analysis, the meandering alignment along the existing U.S. 287 and Alignment B, a new route that connects to U.S. 287 just north of S.H. 1 and passes to the south of the existing U.S. 287 to the LaPorte Bypass (please refer to page 4). These preliminary results were presented at the May 4th Public Workshop.

Workshop results suggest that the public would like CDOT to also consider a combination of the meander alignment and relocating Terry Lake Dam to the north in order to lessen potential impact on the southern side of the roadway. CDOT has agreed to evaluate this combination alignment based in the same criteria to determine if it should be taken into further detailed environmental analysis.

Environmental Analysis
(please refer to graphic on p.3)

CDOT is proceeding with the environmental analysis stage of the process. CDOT will gather and analyze data on a wide range of factors, such as:

• residential and commercial impacts
  
• land use
• noise
• hazardous materials
• wetlands
• floodplains
• threatened and endangered species
• socio-economics
• historic sites
• soils
• environmental justice

These factors will be weighed, along with construction and design constraints, including cost, in helping to identify a preferred alternative. CDOT will present its findings of the environmental analysis at a Public Workshop to be held some time in September 2000.

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