Colorado Transportation Commission approves $7 million transfer for CO 119 project, advances Johnstown and Castle Pines actions

The Colorado Transportation Commission on June 18 approved a budget supplement transferring $7 million from its program reserve to CDOT Region 4 so the department can award the final construction package for the CO 119 Safety, Mobility and Bikeway Project at Hover Street.

In the same resolutions packet, the commission also authorized CDOT to relinquish 3.9 miles of the I-25 East Frontage Road in Johnstown to the town for continued use as a local street, and approved a system-level study for interchange improvements at I-25 and Happy Canyon Road in Castle Pines.

The CO 119 action was a funding transfer within CDOT's existing budget structure, not approval of a new standalone project. The budget supplement says Region 4 requested the money from the Transportation Commission Program Reserve to award the final construction package for the Hover Street intersection portion of the corridor project. The resolution also says the requests were consistent with the fiscal 2026-29 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.

CDOT says the broader CO 119 corridor project between Boulder and Longmont carries a $165 million program cost and is scheduled from fall 2024 to spring 2027. Boulder County, a project partner, says construction is expected to finish in January 2027.

In Johnstown, the commission approved CDOT's side of the transfer, but the road will not change hands unless the town accepts it. The commission's resolution says the segment runs from about mile marker 253.2 to 257.1, is no longer needed for state highway purposes and received Federal Highway Administration approval for relinquishment on May 19.

Under the resolution, Johnstown's governing body has 90 days after official notice to adopt a resolution accepting the relinquishment and assuming ownership in its current "as is" condition. Once the town accepts, CDOT would execute a quitclaim deed that includes a reversion provision if the road is not kept in public ownership.

The Happy Canyon action was more limited. Resolution 11 says the commission approved the system-level study for interchange improvements at I-25 and Happy Canyon Road, pending additional steps including completion and approval of the environmental decision document, interchange access approval, approval of design, transportation demand management and permitting documents, and the chief engineer's approval of an intergovernmental agreement covering financing, construction, maintenance and operations.

The same resolution says a separate chief engineer-approved agreement is required for transportation demand management measures tied to CDOT's 1601 policy and a 3% average-daily-traffic reduction requirement. The commission also said it could revisit the study if the environmental process identifies a different preferred alternative.

On funding, the commission packet puts the interchange cost at $42 million in 2026 dollars and says the City of Castle Pines, Douglas County, CDOT's Bridge and Tunnel Enterprise and nearby developers are covering the full reconstruction cost. The city says that breaks down to $14.5 million from the city and surrounding developments, $16.5 million from Douglas County and $11 million from CDOT for bridge replacement.

The city says construction is anticipated to start in July 2026 and finish in mid-2028, though that timeline still depends on the approvals the commission left unresolved in its June 18 vote.

Taken together, the June 18 actions moved money to an active corridor project, advanced a road transfer that still requires local acceptance, and moved an interchange proposal forward without granting its final approvals.