The Arapahoe County Public Works and Development's Road and Bridge division wrapped up a productive paving season, deploying 44,274 tons of asphalt across various repair and improvement projects. These efforts have bolstered the infrastructure within unincorporated Arapahoe County, touching not only arterial and collector roadways but also several residential areas, as reported by Arapahoe County.
The quantity of asphalt used in this season, impressive as it is, didn't quite surpass the record set in 2023, falling short by about 1,526 tons. It nearly matched the 2022 record, a year that saw a total of 44,739 tons laid down, despite the division's $7.5 million budget for pavement this year, asphalt patching, and concrete improvements. "Overall, we had a really successful year," Operations Manager Michael Haraldson stated. There are "multiple projects that we are very proud of," he said, as per Arapahoe County.
Noteworthy accomplishments from this season include significant repairs to the bridge west of Strasburg and Cherry Creek Dam Road. The operations began in the latter part of April with improvements stretching from Yulle Road and County Road 149 to arterial conduits near Interstates such as Inverness Drive East and Clinton Street, Havana Street, and Orchard Avenue. Summer saw focused work on patching in the Siena and Thunderbird Estates neighborhoods, with a return scheduled in 2025 to finalize the road, work there.
According to Arapahoe County, late-season projects involved revamping the 6th Avenue Bridge with a new pavement surface, joint repair, and guardrail replacement. Additionally, in a fortunate turn of warm fall weather that extended workability, Cherry Creek Dam Road enjoyed a full resurface and re-stripe in October. Haraldson highlighted the climate's favor, noting, "The warm fall weather was a significant factor in being able to complete these two projects so late in the season." Further, South Buckley Road witnessed concrete panel replacements as the season's curtains drew to a close.
