SHERIDAN — Driving into the city on southbound Federal Boulevard, the signs leap out at you: “Road work ahead.”
The neon orange diamonds will be a fixture around Sheridan through 2020, as will cones and road crews. The tiny municipality of 5,700 in western Arapahoe County is embarking this summer on road, sidewalk and gutter work on a grand scale.
The city will replace more than 50 percent of its streets over the next four years. Another 30 percent will require at least routine maintenance, Sheridan Public Works director Randy Mourning said. The effort — dubbed the DrivingChangeBond Improvement Program — is being paid for mainly through up to $31 million in voter-authorized bonds.
Though not officially part of DrivingChange, the first wave of summer road work in happening now on Oxford Avenue between Federal and Clay Street. The road replacement project, which is using both federal and local money, has complicated getting through the busy intersection and impacted the neighborhood to the south.
More construction headaches are likely ahead, but local officials say community feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, as demonstrated at a project kickoff meeting held on May 11.
“At that meeting everybody was very upbeat and enthusiastic,” said Mayor Dallas Hall. “When they announced that even the alleys would be paved, people cheered.”
Councilwoman Tara Beiter-Fluhr shares that excitement. Road improvements have been a priority of hers since she joined City Council in 2008. She praised residents for approving the bond measure, which passed with 53 percent of the vote in November. The bonds will result in an additional $9.95 per month in property taxes for every $100,000 of a home’s market value over the life of the 25-year bonds.
“I’m just thrilled to see work going on, even if means we’re all navigating cone zones,” Beiter-Fluhr said. “It’s just nice we’re making progress.”
Work got underway this week to replace a bridge over the South Platte River at West Hamilton Place. It uses some bond money, but the real DrivingChange work gets underway in early June. Early estimates were that work could take seven years, but contractor Kraemer North America condensed it to four, each focused on zones of the city based on need, Mourning said.
Zone 1A, which should be under construction in the coming weeks, includes stretches of West Princeton Place, South Clay and South Irving streets. Zone 1B is the area north of U.S. 285, between the South Platte and Zuni Street, a neighborhood known as “the Bottoms” because of its low elevation.
“This project is going to consist of a total area rebuild including storm sewer, curb, gutter or drain pan, sidewalk and total roadway replacement,” Mourning said of the work expected to begin in July, adding that from an infrastructure standpoint, “It’s the worst area of the city.”
First-year work should continue through November or December, Mourning said.
Fang Wang lives in the Bottoms. He said the city has always been responsive about fixing pot holes on his street, but with no drainage, every rain or snow storm just created more. He is eager to see work get underway.
“I would like to have it done. I think that’s a priority over everything else,” he said. “I’m sure it’s going to increase property values also.”
Hall credited city administrators for making a strong case for bonds to fix Sheridan streets, and residents for supporting it.
Hall said: “I think people are willing to pay for it if the plans are made and it’s done right and leaders are up front about the money and how it will be spent.”
Joe Rubino: 303-954-2953, jrubino@denverpost.com or @RubinoJC
Construction updates
Sign up for the newsletter by e-mailing drivingchange@ci.sheridan.co.us, call the hotline at 303-438-3322 or visit and click on the DrivingChange tab on the left.
