Get ready to adjust your commute, Douglas County residents. Roadwork season is upon us, and it's time to exercise patience and caution. Annual maintenance on county streets is in full swing, tackling everything from faded pavement markings to sidewalk repairs. This essential work, primarily scheduled from April to October due to weather constraints, ensures our roads remain in the best shape possible for all. Knowing what's ahead, however, can be half the battle in minimizing the disruption to your daily drive.
To both keep you informed and to possibly alleviate some of the roadwork blues, county officials have rolled out an interactive map designed to give you a real-time scoop on the construction zones affecting your area or commute. And for residents of Highlands Ranch, there's a dedicated webpage just for your local roadwork specifics. According to Douglas County, "Every year, Douglas County plans for maintenance on County streets, including residential roads and main thoroughfares."
Yet, this season is not only about sprucing up our commutes. It's also a crucial time to recognize the risks our road crews face daily. In concert with National Work Zone Awareness Week, we're reminded to "Respect the zone so we all get home." With a sobering tally of 891 lives lost in 2022 work zones, the message is stark and simple: slow down, stay alert, and save lives. Traffic adjustments like lane closures or altered speed limits are set to not just make our drives smoother, but crucially, to protect those who make those drives possible.
Being forewarned is being forearmed, and Douglas County lays out several ways for residents to stay ahead of the curve. To never be taken by surprise, you can sign up for email alerts with Road Work/Cone Zone updates straight to your inbox. Social media users can also connect via platforms like Nextdoor and Facebook for on-the-go updates. Further, your one-stop shop of roadwork info is neatly compiled on the county's dedicated Cone Zone webpage. For those navigating state roads, cotrip.org is the go-to resource for planning. As reported by Douglas County, "A safe and accessible multimodal transportation network is one of the Board of County Commissioner’s six core priorities."
