Wheat Ridge awards $10 million contract for first sidewalk-gap phase

Wheat Ridge City Council voted 8-0 on Oct. 26 to award Goodland Construction a $10 million contract for the first phase of the city’s voter-approved sidewalk-gap program, at its Oct. 26 meeting. Staff expects the work to be completed in 2027, though the start depends on construction schedules and finalized designs.

The seven locations are Parfet Street, Miller Street, 26th Avenue, Dover Street, Pierce Street, Harlan Street and the I-70 frontage road between Holland and Garrison streets. Staff said work generally includes sidewalks, Americans with Disabilities Act ramps and related road or drainage improvements. Dover is an exception: the plan omits sidewalks and instead calls for a new asphalt road, drainage work and traffic mitigation near 38th, 41st and 44th avenues.

The city evaluated 15 projects and prioritized locations using factors such as proximity to parks and schools, connections to the existing sidewalk network, utility and right-of-way constraints, and opportunities to coordinate with other maintenance or capital work. Council later added the I-70 frontage-road segment to the priority list, the city’s March project presentation says. Goodland was selected from two proposals based on qualifications, experience and pricing. The city will issue task orders as designs are completed and segments are ready; final costs for each segment will be determined through that process.

The contract is part of a larger 2J infrastructure program. A September budget realignment put the overall program at about $96.1 million, including $82.6 million in project funds and $13.5 million in grants. The total covers corridor, drainage and multimodal projects, not just sidewalks. The plan also removed funding for a sidewalk gap on Ridge Road between Nelson and Quail and for ADA ramp installation. It deferred a trail connection near 35th Avenue and Tabor Court and the Oak Street-Twilight Drive crossing for possible reconsideration if funding becomes available, the city’s budget packet says.

The city manager told council that Dover’s street work had been grouped inappropriately with sidewalk projects. After neighborhood meetings, the manager characterized the revised plan without sidewalks as reflecting residents’ preferred option. Staff said it would notify affected residents once it knows where work will start and give them time to prepare. It also said it would require traffic-control plans and provide alternate routes or stops if construction disrupts pedestrian, bicycle or bus facilities.