Plan to widen I-25 sooner heads to lawmakers

The Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance is working to introduce a bill in the state legislature that would widen Interstate 25 in the near future.

The expansion would create a three-lane highway in both directions between Fort Collins and Longmont. It's one of 60 projects on what the NCLA is calling its Trans II project list.

Sen. Randy Baumgardner, R-Hot Sulphur Springs, is set to introduce the bill in the Colorado Senate on Monday.

If the bill passes and voters approve the question in a statewide November election, $3.5 billion in bonds would be issued to pay for the projects. Work could begin in 2017.

The I-25 expansion is the largest item on the project list, with a rough cost of $1 billion.

At this time, the Colorado Department of Transportation projects widening of I-25 in Northern Colorado to be completed in 2070.

"This presents an opportunity to address projects around the state that don't have a funding source in view for years because the budget is exceptionally tight," said Sandra Solin, lobbyist for NCLA and Head of Capitol Solutions, a lobbying firm. "It present the opportunity but it does so without raising taxes."

The bond repayment would be roughly $5.5 billion over 20 years.

The three-lane expansion of I-25 would be extended up to the Mulberry Street/ U.S. Highway 14 exit in Fort Collins.

Solin said critics are concerned that CDOT will lose funding for operations and maintenance, because it will be rerouted to new construction and project work. A call to CDOT was not immediately returned.

"Incorporated in the proposal will be $1 billion for that purpose that's not that's bonded." she said. "We think we've alleviated those concerns in a meaningful way, in addition much of their repair program is because of aging infrastructure. We know that on our list, some will be replacing those projects on their asset management list. There will be savings found on those liabilities with the utilization of Trans II proceeds."

CDOT Executive Director Shailen Bhatt said he has not yet seen the bill, so he cannot say for sure whether his department will support its passage. But he said if the bill contains only a list of new projects, and no way "to care for the existing system," then Bhatt said CDOT would not be in favor of it.

There are also improvements on the list for the Interstate 70 corridor (at a cost of about $600 million).

"The total solution for that corridor in terms of three-laning it and expanding the tunnel is about a $10 billion program," Solin said. "That conversation can't occur until a series of projects are completed first … Every single one of those projects is in this list. It's not the total fix but it gets them so much farther down the road than they would be for years."

During the 1999 legislative session, a ballot proposal to fund road improvements passed and was approved by voters. Proponents of the bill set to be introduced Monday cite it as a continuation of the 1999 bill. The bonds on the 1999 bill will be fully serviced by 2017.

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