During a work session held by the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) on Tuesday, Sept. 8, the board heard a presentation from representatives with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).
Tim Funk, CDOT’s regional planner for Southwest Colorado, began by explaining that CDOT has 15 counties in the southwest part of the state, with the plan being to meet with half of them in person, and the other half virtually every year.
“So, next year we’ll be driving over to Pagosa to meet with you guys,” he said.
Funk explained that what “triggers these county meetings” is CDOT’s project priority programming process.
“This is based on guidelines that were adopted by our transportation commission … at the end of last fiscal year,” he said, clarifying that it was at the end of June.
He explained that CDOT’s transportation commission adopted new “4P guidelines,” which looks at the “long-range view” and works down to projects that we are “actually delivering.”
Funk highlighted some of the long-range plan priority projects in Archuleta County, including the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) project which is installing fiber from Wolf Creek Pass to Durango.
It was noted later in the presentation that the fiber on Wolf Creek Pass is “live.”
“The segment into Pagosa … got stalled with some litigation. The bonding company, we believe, still owes us completion of this project, so we are hoping to complete the project at some point,” he said.
He indicated that the segment from Pagosa Springs to Durango is not funded, but that CDOT has been fortunate there’s been “quite a bit of development, private infrastructure moving in that’s kind of closing the gap there.”
Funk also highlighted the park-and-ride project that the county was working on to have a bus shelter installed near Aspen Springs.
“Unfortunately, just with access issues into the parcel that was acquired, it looks like that kind of project is on hold at the moment,” he said, “But, obviously … CDOT recognizes that a need for a park-and-ride in Archuleta County … is still a need.”
Other projects listed in CDOT’s presentation that Funk noted are listed as a need in the next 25 years include a new essential bus service from Durango to Denver, advanced warning signals at U.S. 160 and Piedra Road, U.S. 160 being five lanes in Pagosa Springs, safety improvements on U.S. 84, rural paving on Colo. 151 between Ignacio and Arboles, increased truck parking on U.S. 160 in Pagosa Springs, and adding shoulders east of Pagosa Springs.
Funk then talked about projects that have made it into CDOT’s 10-year plan, which are funded through the state’s legislature.
“With those funds, we developed our 10-year plan,” he said, noting the reconstruction project of U.S. 160 through downtown Pagosa Springs currently taking place.
“A project like this can kind of only happen when we have these 10-year plan dollars to add to our existing asset management program,” Funk said.
He indicated the project is still anticipated to be completed by the end of this fall.
“I’m sure everybody’s ready for us to get done and get out of there,” he said.
CDOT Regional Director Julie Constan indicated that the next “big traffic swap” is scheduled for next Tuesday, Sept. 15.
Constan explained the traffic swap will involve moving all of the traffic from the asphalt over to the new concrete surface, “if all goes well this week.”
CDOT Region 5 Multimodal and Transit Liaison Annie Altwarg spoke more about the bus project between Pagosa Springs and Durango, which would offer daily service between the two communities.
She indicated there is $2.7 million available for that project.
Altwarg also spoke about the Town-to-Lakes Trail project, noting that it is in the in-design phase and 30 percent completed, with construction anticipated in 2027 to create a multiuse path between 10th Street and Great West Avenue.
Altwarg mentioned the 1st Street pedestrian bridge project, as well, noting that it is also in the design phase and 30 percent completed, “pushing towards 90 [percent].”
She noted that construction for the pedestrian bridge is anticipated in 2028.
In response to a question from Commissioner Warren Brown, CDOT representatives indicated that the Town-to-Lakes Trail and the pedestrian bridge project would have “minimal” traffic impacts.
Funk noted two magnesium chloride application projects in the Town of Pagosa Springs and in Archuleta County, with $23,920 being spent on magnesium chloride application on dirt roads in the county.
Funk also mentioned culvert repair projects taking place in the region, noting one that was repaired at mile marker 117 on U.S. 160.
Funk explained that six other culvert replacements were completed this summer on Colo. 151.
He then explained that CDOT is going to be looking to resurface U.S. 160 from “about the county line” with La Plata County east for 20 miles to the Yellow Jacket area in 2028, at a cost of about $15 million.
He also mentioned two chip-seal projects, one on U.S. 84 from mile 16.3 to mile 22.3 scheduled for 2027, and another chip-seal project scheduled in 2028 for mile 144.5 to mile 148.5 on U.S 160.
Funk noted the U.S. 160 chip-seal project has a $175,000 price tag.
“That would be just east of Pagosa Springs,” he said.
Funk also highlighted that CDOT spent more than $1.5 million in Archuleta County on various projects over the last fiscal year, which spanned from June 2025 to July 2026.
Commissioner Veronica Medina asked about wildlife crossover projects on U.S. 84 and Colo. 151 being in a 10-year plan, to which Funk explained the state does have funds set aside for wildlife crossing projects.
He also explained that additional revenue sources from recent bills passed at the state level might be able to generate funds for those projects.
“Currently, we don’t have funds set aside for it, but we’re hopeful that with these additional funds coming into this program that we can look at trying to get some underpasses or overpasses,” Funk said.
Commissioner Warren Brown commented that he was “very disappointed” to see that the property “essentially donated” to the county by CDOT for a park-and-ride service in Aspen Springs is not working, “because I think that’s very much an underserved part of our county.”
He added, “I would like to see us pursue other options if that’s just not going to be workable.”
Brown indicated that there may be federal funds available to help with the “bridge issue” for accessing that particular parcel.
Funk commented on the Aspen Springs park-and-ride project, saying, “We don’t view it as dead just because it hit a snag with the access into it.”
He noted that the project is still in the long-range plan for CDOT.
clayton@pagosasun.com
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