FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Andrew Knapp, Pitkin County Engineer
970.920.5206
andrew.knapp@pitkincounty.com
Pitkin County, CO (May 6, 2025) — The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has awarded Pitkin County more than $2.6 million in federal and state funds to make long-needed safety improvements to two high-risk intersections along Colorado State Highway 82 (CO-82).
The grant, awarded through the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) for fiscal year 2028, includes $2,535,623 in federal funding and $81,735 in state match funding, with an additional $200,000 in local match committed by Pitkin County.
“These intersections have a history of serious crashes, including fatalities,” said Andrew Knapp, Pitkin County Engineer. “This funding will help us take meaningful steps toward making Highway 82 safer for everyone who uses it.”
The improvements stem from a lengthy collaboration between Pitkin County and CDOT to evaluate crash patterns and develop data-driven safety solutions. At the Smith Way/Juniper Hill Road intersection, CDOT and County engineers observed that drivers attempting left turns often misjudge the speed or gap of oncoming traffic, leading to severe T-bone crashes — including one fatal crash in 2018. To address this, the project will convert the intersection into a Modified Reduced Conflict U-Turn (RCUT) configuration commonly known as a “Michigan Left.” This will eliminate direct left turns into cross-traffic. Drivers approaching CO-82 from side streets will instead make right turns followed by a U-turn at a new median crossover. Drivers seeking to turn onto the side streets from CO-82 will proceed beyond the existing intersection to the new median crossover locations to take a U-turn followed by a right onto their desired side street. This is a proven design that reduces conflict points and the severity of conflicts which is expected to reduce crashes by 35%. This will be the first Michigan Left installed in the state of Colorado.
At the Lazy Glen intersection, a similar crash pattern was observed — including a fatal broadside collision in 2023. Although fewer crashes have occurred overall, high traffic speeds and limited visibility make this intersection especially dangerous for vehicles entering the highway. The planned improvement will add a left-turn acceleration lane, which simplifies the movement for drivers entering Highway 82 by allowing them to merge into traffic with greatly reduced speed differentials. This design lowers the risk of serious crashes, with a projected crash reduction of 30%. To accommodate the new acceleration lane, the second up-valley access point to the Lazy Glen Subdivision will be converted to a right-in/right-out configuration, further improving safety by reducing vehicle conflict points.
Both projects were selected by CDOT through a competitive process based on crash history, safety impact, and project readiness. The improvements reflect Pitkin County’s ongoing commitment to protecting the traveling public on one of the region’s busiest roadways. Pitkin County is grateful for the excellent collaborative relationship with CDOT allowing for these important safety improvements to be constructed.