BOULDER — One of the main arteries leading out of Boulder to the south, Colorado 93 has long had a reputation as a treacherous road for cyclists, thanks to a high volume of fast-moving vehicles and a dearth of shoulders.
But that’s going to change. Boulder County and the Colorado Department of Transportation have begun the design process for a reconstruction of the portion of the road that runs from its intersection with Marshall Road and Eldorado Springs Drive south to its intersection with Colorado 128 in order to add shoulders.
“Boulder County has been talking with CDOT for a long time about the desire to improve Highway 93 so that it’s easier for cyclists to use,” said Tim Swope, capital- projects coordinator for the county’s Transportation Department.
CDOT already is building shoulders along Colorado 93 from Golden north to Colorado 128.
“The reason this is the last section is because it’s the most difficult per mile,” Swope said.
Kris Thompson, founder of 303Cycling, a local cycling-news website, said the addition of shoulders on Colorado 93 would allow cyclists to ride new loops out of Boulder, including one that would connect Boulder to Nederland via Coal Creek Canyon and then return to downtown Boulder Canyon or Lefthand Canyon.
But Thompson said that, even with the shoulders, it may take a while for some cyclists to warm up to the road and shake the feeling that the route is too dangerous.
“It’s always been a scary road,” he said. “The majority of people are going to be wary for a while.”
Construction — which will likely cost about $5 million — is not expected to begin until 2014.
