Construction on Highway 6 & 24 in Dowd Junction continues to impact traffic
ECO trail project in final phase; wastewater collection project moves indoors
Eagle River Water & Sanitation District/Vail Daily archive
The next few weeks will continue to feature traffic impacts in the Dowd Junction area due to construction on the roadway portion of the collaboration between Eagle River Water & Sanitation District and ECO Trails. This week, crews, which have been placing concrete and grinding the existing asphalt surface, will pave and stripe U.S. Highway 6 & 24 in accordance with CDOT requirements.
In the next week, depending on weather, U.S. Highway 6 & 24 will be mostly one-lane traffic with flaggers during paving and striping operations. Following completion of paving and striping, intermittent traffic impacts are likely for further work activities associated with the new recreation path. Buried utility work has been completed since August, except for two customer connections associated with the U.S. Forest Service buildings. Utility-related traffic impacts are not anticipated.
Motorists are urged to drive slowly and carefully and yield to bicycles through the area. Bicyclists must follow all signage and traffic controls in the area and stay out of the construction area for their safety.
The construction is part of the third phase of a multi-year, $17 million project to improve aging and undersized infrastructure in the wastewater collection system in Dowd Junction. Phase one of the project began in August 2020 near the intersection of Highway 24 and County Road in Minturn.
The current phase of the project includes the construction of a new lift station across from the U.S. Forest Service building to replace the existing one, a new gravity sewer main from the County Road bridge in Minturn to the new lift station, and two pressurized sewer mains between the lift station and the Gore Valley Trail Bridge in Dowd Junction. It includes a partnership with ECO Trails, to connect the bike trail from Minturn to the Gore Valley Trail intersection.
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The project is expected to be completed in early November. There will be interior pump station work through the winter but it will not affect public use of the area. The water portion of the project is funded by customer wastewater rates and property assessments, and the trail portion is funded by Eagle County.
For more information, visit http://www.erwsd.org or contact Eagle River Water District customer service at 970-477-5451.
