<\/p>\n
The various stakeholders tentatively have agreed on a route for the realignment of U.S. Highway 550 \u2013 something some locals who call the first stage of the project \u201cThe Bridge to Nowhere\u201d \u2013 doubted ever would happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of a perfect storm, we ended up with a perfect opportunity to solve the problem,\u201d said Chris Webb, managing member of the Marie J. Webb Ranch.<\/p>\n
The original preferred route essentially would have cut the Webb Ranch in half.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith a new leader in Kerrie Neet and independent engineering consultants who said, \u2018Let\u2019s reason this out together,\u2019 one good thing led to another,\u201d Webb said.<\/p>\n
But now the Colorado Department of Transportation faces an even larger problem regarding the Grandview interchange project: How do we pay for it? The project will cost an estimated $75 million to $91 million, depending on whether it is done in phases or in one stage.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had high hopes when the governor\u2019s budget office said it was likely Senate Bill 228 would kick in,\u201d Colorado Transportation Commissioner Sidny Zink said. \u201cBut now it looks like the refund will kick in.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bill will kick in when personal income growth exceeds 5 percent annually, which happened in 2014. The bill authorizes the transfer of up to $200 million into CDOT\u2019s Strategic Transportation Project Investment Program, and the realignment of U.S. Highway 550 to eliminate Farmington Hill is on the list of projects identified in the program.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wouldn\u2019t just do the projects on the list blindly, but being on the list is helpful,\u201d Zink said.<\/p>\n
But there is a catch: If personal income growth hits 6 percent or higher, the Taxpayer\u2019s Bill of Rights kicks in, requiring an automatic taxpayer refund. That seems to be the current status, and it is a bit of a Catch-22. Personal income growth always is good, but too much growth and the money isn\u2019t available for much-needed infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to the Colorado Forum next week, and the TABOR refund issue will be one of the main topics,\u201d Zink said at a CDOT open house last week.<\/p>\n
Understanding CDOT\u2019s budget is a key part of the puzzle. Zink said the department\u2019s entire budget is about $1.2 billion annually.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe get $3.5 million in discretionary funds for priority projects covering all 15 counties in Southwest Colorado,\u201d said Neet, the Region 5 director for the transportation department. \u201cAnd the majority of that goes to maintaining the system we currently have.\u201d<\/p>\n
The other problem is that the U.S. Highway 550 realignment isn\u2019t the only project in the Strategic Transportation Project list. There are 27 other projects across the state clamoring for funding.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe elephant in the room is the planned I-70 viaduct,\u201d Zink said. A viaduct is a long bridge of short spans supported on piers, usually to carry a road over a valley. \u201cIt\u2019s planned to go from downtown out to Pe\u00f1a Boulevard, which goes to Denver International Airport, and the cost for its three phases is close to $1 billion over three to five years.\u201d<\/p>\n
What about federal money? It is a U.S. highway, after all.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho knows?\u201d Zink said. \u201cCongress put a Band-Aid on the Federal Highway Trust Fund, so when and if any money would be available is a big question.\u201d<\/p>\n
It does not appear that Congress will address the reauthorization of the Federal Highway Funding Bill any time soon. In August, Congress approved a short-term fix of $11 billion to keep the fund solvent through next May. No further action on a long-term solution of keeping the fund solvent has been taken.<\/p>\n
There is no clear avenue to funding, Neet said, but for the short term, she thinks the funding to begin acquiring rights-of-way and the engineering might be available as early as 2016.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing in Colorado\u2019s budget for a project this large. so some kind of bonding initiative might be a way to find financing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The road is an important artery.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf people understood the importance of highways to the economy of rural Colorado, they might understand how key this project is,\u201d Neet said. \u201cIt\u2019s the only thing we have, and it\u2019s a lifeline. This project would have a big impact.\u201d<\/p>\n
abutler@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/p>\n This story has been updated to reflect the correct name of Pe\u00f1a Boulevard.<\/p>\n