George Named CDOT Director/Powers-Woodmen Construction Begins/I-70B Alternatives Presented

Gov. Bill Ritter tapped Russell George to serve as the Colorado Department of Transportation’s new executive director. A one-time House Speaker, George headed the Department of Natural Resources under Gov, Bill Owens.

Russell George to Head CDOT

Former Department of Natural Resources executive director and one-time House Speaker Russell George was named executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation in early February.

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter’s nomination of George filled the final executive director’s position in the new Ritter administration.

Ritter said one of George’s immediate responsibilities will be to work with the new Colorado Transportation Finance and Implementation Panel, a task force created to identify long-term solutions to Colorado’s declining transportation revenue sources.

George served as executive director of the Department of Natural Resources for Gov. Bill Owens from January 2004 to January 2007. Before that, he was director of the Colorado Division of Wildlife and from 1992 to 2000, he served in the state House of Representatives. His colleagues elected him Speaker of the House in 1999. George is a graduate of Rifle High School and Colorado State University, where he was a Boettcher Scholar, and Harvard Law School. He has also served as a VISTA volunteer for the Crow Tribe of Indians in Montana and as a municipal judge in Rifle.

R.E. Monks Begins Construction on Powers-Woodmen Interchange

Construction of a grade-separated interchange at Powers Boulevard and Woodmen Road began in Colorado Springs in January.

R.E. Monks Construction Co. is the contractor for the $26 million project, including $16 million from federally earmarked funds. As part of the Powers Boulevard Corridor Improvements, from Interstate 25 on the north to State Highway 16 at I-25 on the south, the Colorado Department of Transportation began initial work at the Powers Boulevard/Woodmen Road Interchange on Jan. 17. Completion is scheduled for mid-2009.>

I-70B West Alternatives Up for Public Review

CDOT, Federal Highway Administration and city of Grand Junction presented in January the alternatives for addressing safety and capacity issues on Interstate 70B West between 24 Road and 15th Street in Grand Junction. Options in the environmental assessment process include possible changes to Highway 6 and 50, First, Pitkin and Ute streets downtown. Critical issues in the I-70B corridor and overall project goals include safety, congestion, pedestrian and bicycle issues and access to commercial and residential development.

Turn Signal Is First of Its Kind on State Highway System

CDOT implemented a new “flashing” left-turn signal in Pueblo, a system designed to enhance safety at busy intersections.

The first of these new signals was installed at the U.S. Highway 50-Fortino/Morris intersection. It will control turn movements from westbound U.S. Highway 50 to southbound Morris Avenue and from eastbound U.S. Highway 50 to northbound Fortino Boulevard.

The new signal system is part of a pilot project for the Federal Highway Administration, which is looking at amending federal standards for left-turn signals. CDOT is one of the first jurisdictions in the United States to implement it.

The benefits of the new turn arrows include elimination of motorist confusion to the meaning of the circular green light – occasionally mistaken as a protected left turn – and the simultaneous circular red light and green arrow, where some drivers stop;

Between 1999 and 2004, 113 accidents took place at the U.S. 50 Highway-Morris/Fortino intersection, with 35 of the accidents occurring during left turns.

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