Some residents along the route for the say they want a concrete wall to protect their properties.
Mary Williams, who lives in the Piney Creek Ranches subdivision in a home close to Arapahoe Road, is concerned that without the wall, the widened road will be too close to her property and that could result in distracted motorists driving right into her backyard. She said there are about 35 other homeowners who share her concerns.
The project will take Arapahoe Road from two lanes to six lanes from Chapparal Circle West to the west, as well as from Himalaya Way to the east. The road will be four lanes from Chapparal Circle West to Himalaya Way.
“There’s going to be no restriction for the size of vehicles, and the speed limit is going to be at 45 miles per hour,” Williams said.
Travis Greiman, engineering manager for the city who is overseeing the $15 million project, said part of the reason for the work is to make Arapahoe Road a safer road, especially for students at nearby Grandview High School. He said the project should reduce congestion on the very busy road, and that the new lanes will be far enough away from homes. He also said 80 to 90 percent of nearby residents are enthusiastic about the project. He added that the city doesn’t have enough money in its budget to fund the concrete wall the residents want.
“If the neighbors wanted to fund a wall, they could form an improvement district,” Greiman said.
But Williams said she feels it’s unfair for the residents to have to provide for their safety when that is the city’s responsibility. Greiman said the city has proposed installing trees, berms (four-foot high hills of dirt) or a vinyl fence, but there’s been no consensus from neighbors on a solution.
Eric Darst, a resident with a home on the inside of Piney Creek Ranches, said he’s trying to create an ad hoc committee to get all stakeholders, including residents and the city, at the table and communicating.
“I’m not being elementary in this whole thing because I know there’s some contention, but if we get everyone at the table we can hash this out,” Darst said.
Centennial Mayor Pro Tem Ken Lucas, who represents the neighborhood, said he’s open to the committee. Be he said it has to happen fast because the city can’t afford to delay on the project and must take advantage of construction rates this year. The city hopes to move forward with construction early next year and is currently in the design phase.
The , with $10 million coming from city and the rest from Arapahoe County, Aurora and the Southeast Metro Stormwater Authority.
“Even if (the increase is) 10 percent of inflation costs, that’s $1.5 million we don’t want to have to spend,” Lucas said. “So the city is going to move forward with all due haste because this project is needed.”
