Regional Transportation District staff propose targeted Welton track repairs
The alternative would use condition assessments to decide which track components need work and add monitoring and safety checks.
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Regional Transportation District staff are proposing condition-based repairs to the Welton Street rail line rather than automatically replacing the full track structure. The alternative, scheduled for discussion at the agency’s Oct. 27 board meeting, would use existing condition data and field investigations to determine which track components need work. The presentation outlines the proposed approach.
The current project scope calls for replacing track paving, rails, clips, ties and ballast. It also includes station work such as replacing high blocks and tactile warning strips, addressing tripping hazards, improving lighting and signage, and relocating ticket machines and validators. The project overview describes a planned full-depth reconstruction. The presentation focuses on track work and does not specify whether the station improvements would remain in the project.
The proposed approach also includes enhanced monitoring of infrastructure conditions, thresholds for corrective action and safety certifications. Staff planned to begin negotiating the project’s scope, schedule and budget with the contractor in late October, and to engage the City and County of Denver on the path forward.
A separate Welton Next Steps study, led by Denver and the Regional Transportation District, is developing community-supported transit recommendations for Welton Street and part of Downing Street. A preferred alternative is targeted for winter or spring 2027, a Denver committee presentation says. The Oct. 27 item concerns the rail reconstruction’s scope, not a decision on the broader study.