CDOT Ends Northwest Corridor Environmental Study Before Its Complete

Transportation department offers data to other entities pursuing improvements

Because of declining funding and a lack of consensus, the Colorado Department of Transportation decided not to complete the Northwest Corridor Environmental Impact Statement, a federally required study needed to identify the impact of transportation improvements funded by federal dollars.

Instead, data collected will be used to create a new Northwest Corridor Transportation Planning and Environmental Study that will be available to the public and can be used by a governmental agency or the private sector should an entity decide to move forward with a future project that does not involve federal funding.

The NWEIS began in October 2003, identifying a need to make transportation improvements in the study area. CDOT has spent $13.7 million to analyze more than 70 alternatives to improve the transportation network from the Northwest Parkway to C-470. While CDOT believes that major transportation improvements in the northwest Denver metropolitan area are needed, the NWEIS has not identified the funding to build a preferred alternative in the foreseeable future.

Additionally, a lack of consensus among local governments and citizens’ groups made it difficult to move forward in determining what transportation improvements might be needed. A preferred alternative and reasonable funding source must be identified in order to gain federal approval of the study.

“CDOT will provide data, be cooperative and offer assistance to the local governments who may wish to pursue transportation improvements in the area, but it’s up to them to solve their regional political conflict. CDOT is going to remain neutral,” said CDOT Executive Director Russ George. “From CDOT’s perspective, it just doesn’t make sense to continue spending what limited dollars we do have to complete a study if agreement can’t be reached on what improvements should be made and no future funding stream is identified to implement the improvements.”

The Northwest Corridor Transportation and Environmental Planning Study is expected to be available to the public in July.