John L. Haley, who was on the team that designed the Glenwood Canyon project and who later wrote a book about it, died in Greeley on Dec. 22 at age 85.
Haley helped design buildings, bridges and water-treatment plants during his long career, but the Glenwood project was the best known.
The 12.5-mile portion of Interstate 70 was completed in 1992 after more than 10 years.
Two of the aims were that the project conform to environmental rules and that the view be preserved “even for those people looking through their windshields going 50 miles an hour,” said Haley’s daughter, Sharon Linhart of Denver.
Those who worked on the project were cited by then-President Bill Clinton, and the road was the subject of a National Geographic story.
The highway project replaced a two-lane road that had been used for six decades to link Denver and western Colorado. It includes bridges, tunnels, rest areas, bike paths and access to hiking trails.
“John was a motivator and great big cheerleader” to co-workers, especially those starting out, said Vern Nelson of Greeley, a former engineering partner.
“He had unmatched enthusiasm and freely gave his opinion on any issue,” Nelson said in a tribute at Haley’s memorial.
Haley had seen Glenwood Canyon when he was on a troop train en route to Washington state while he was in the Navy, and he vowed to move to Colorado.
A Greeley resident for decades, Haley was a partner in the engineering consulting firm Nelson, Haley, Patterson & Quirk.
The firm engineered several bridges over Interstate 25, as well as the Greeley city hall, a bank and a performance complex.
After several years he joined DMJM-Phillips, Reister, Haley Inc., the engineering firm that had the contract with the Colorado Department of Transportation to design and build the Glenwood Canyon project.
John L. Haley was born in Kansas City, Mo., on May 17, 1924. He served in the Navy from 1940 to 1945 and later in the Army Corps of Engineers that helped rebuild Europe.
He earned a civil engineering degree at the University of Florida.
Before moving to Colorado, he was an apprentice engineer on the Kansas Turnpike.
He married Pearl C. Cline on Sept. 17, 1949.
In addition to her and his daughter, he is survived by two sons: Kevin Haley of Eaton and Kirk Haley of Greeley; five grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and his brother, ValJean Haley of Boynton Beach, Fla.
Virginia Culver: 303-954-1223 or vculver@denverpost.com
