A 100-day road closure? That's what residents of Douglas County are facing on County Line Road, and Denver7's Maggy Wolanske went straight to the source to get the scoop on how locals are feeling about it.
Starting this Tuesday, County Line Road will be closed for a significant 100 days, stretching from Clarkson Street to the U-Haul business access. The goal? To fill in the dip at Lee Gulch and generally boost public safety.
Kathy Wren, a 32-year resident, shared her perspective. She remembers the area as a great place to raise a family. While daytime traffic isn't too bad, rush hour is a different story. "They are putting in two lanes on each direction of County Line, plus they're going to put a light right here at Clarkson, and we really do need it," she said. "If you ever drive here during rush hour, it's a nightmare, so that will really help a lot."
Brad Vander Ley, another long-time resident of over 25 years, has vivid memories of the road's wild dips. "Oh yeah, used to be like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride," he recalled. "People would come out here intentionally just to go up and down the dips — that was crazy... If you're going too fast — I mean, you wouldn't — but it felt like you'd almost get airborne."
The County Line Road project is a major undertaking, with Douglas County teaming up with the City of Littleton, City of Centennial, and the Denver Regional Council of Governments to widen and reconstruct the road from University Boulevard to Broadway.
Rob Sweet, another resident, believes this work is long overdue. He sees the dips as unsafe and dangerous. "County Line Road has been basically in the state of disrepair for many, many years," Sweet said. "It should have been converted from a two-laner many years ago, just like the rest of it was."
Douglas County acknowledges that while crews won't be working around the clock, the road must remain closed due to the extensive earthwork and unsafe conditions. Detour maps are available to help drivers navigate alternative routes.
While residents anticipate potential increases in traffic on their local roads, they generally agree that the long-term advantages of an improved roadway will be worth the temporary inconvenience. Vander Ley sums it up: "I think it needs to happen. I mean, just people have to have to deal with it. It is what it is... In the long run, the good is going out weight the bad for sure."
But here's where it gets controversial... the impact of such a lengthy closure. What are your thoughts? Do you agree with the residents that the improvements are necessary, even with the 100-day disruption? Or do you have concerns about the detours and potential traffic increases in other areas? Share your opinions in the comments below!
