First fully protected intersection in Boulder opens to travel

BOULDER, Colo. – Boulder’s first fully protected intersection is now open for travel as construction of the 30th Street and Colorado Avenue Protected Intersection and Underpass project nears completion. The city invites the community to learn how to use the intersection through a short educational video, and to celebrate the project safety improvements at a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, Oct. 3, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Protected intersections improve safety by providing physical separation between vehicles and people walking, rolling and biking up to and through the intersection while making it easier for all travelers to see and be seen by drivers. The project includes two new bike and pedestrian underpasses that will be completed later this fall, along with landscaping and minor adjustments to the northwest corner of the intersection.

“We're excited to announce the long-awaited opening of the intersection to support safer and more comfortable transportation,” said Transportation and Mobility Capital Projects Manager Gerrit Slatter. “As we complete the finishing touches, we invite our community to join us with our partners in celebrating this significant achievement.”

The project celebration will include a ribbon cutting and remarks from city staff, City Council, the Transportation Advisory Board and the University of Colorado Boulder at noon at the northeast corner of the intersection. An organized bike ride and walking tour will depart from Scott Carpenter Park at 11:30 a.m. and end at the project celebration location. The tours are held in partnership with the Boulder Cruiser Ride, a local bicycle group, and Boulder Walks, a community walking program.

30th Street and Colorado Avenue is one of the busiest intersections in Boulder and a top crash location in the city. Improvements to the area implement the 30th and Colorado Corridors Study and support the city's Core Arterial Network (CAN), an initiative that aims to make traveling along the city’s main corridors safer, more comfortable and more connected. Two related projects from the study will start in 2023 and 2024 and will connect to the protected intersection with new sidewalk-level protected bike lanes on 30th Street north of Colorado Avenue and on Colorado Avenue west of 30th Street.

The project is supported and made possible through partnership and funding from CU Boulder and federal Transportation Improvements Program funds approved by the Denver Regional Council of Governments. Learn more on the event webpage and project webpage.