LAKEWOOD — Crews on Wednesday broke ground on a 1,000-space parking structure at West 14th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard that officials say will be a key hub when the FasTracks West Rail Line opens in May 2013.
“This is really a huge milestone. … This will be the cornerstone structure of the entire West Rail corridor,” said Matt Cohen, who represents central Jefferson County on the Regional Transportation District board of directors.
About 150 people attended the groundbreaking ceremonies for the four-story structure, which will serve riders of the RTD FasTracks West Rail Line as well as the existing RTD bus system.
The Lakewood-Wadsworth station is expected to be used by 5,530 riders each weekday. The structure, built by Swinerton Builders Colorado, will feature several sustainable features, including low-water-use landscaping, bicycle parking and provisions for future solar panels and plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles. Swinerton will also recycle materials during construction and have a site-management plan that will cut down on erosion and contain all construction debris.
The construction project will bring on 40 subcontractors and employ as many as 300 people, Swinerton division manager Scott Conrad said.
The West Rail stretch will be a 12.1-mile light-rail line serving Denver, Lakewood, Golden and Jefferson County, connecting Denver Union Station to the Jefferson County Government Center. It’s expected to draw a ridership of 19,300 each weekday.
