Project to enhance safety on Highway 85 nears completion

Published on May 26, 2022

The approval by the Weld County Board of Commissioners to vacate a portion of Weld County Road (WCR) 64 (O St. east), marks one of the final few steps in an effort to improve safety and efficiency along the Highway 85 corridor. This vacation will effectively close the crossing at WCR 64. The crossing is one of 12 total to be closed along the highway from WCR 2.5 to WCR 100. All closures are anticipated to be complete by the end of 2023, with the construction of the Peckham interchange at WCR 44 and Highway 85.   

“Weld County has been involved with this project since 2016, and we’re proud to see it reaching its conclusion,” said Elizabeth Relford, Deputy Director of the Weld County Department of Public Works. “Our goal has always been safety — increase safety for commuters by reducing congestion at railroad crossings, eliminate the risk of vehicle and train conflicts, and provide more reliable access routes for emergency services.”

A large portion of Highway 85 running through Weld County has been in the right of way of Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) since 1923. In 1931, UPRR and Weld County entered into a lease for Highway 85 right of way until 1957, when the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and UPRR entered into their own lease, which ended in 2006. The closure of the 12 railroad crossings, which began in 2017, will give CDOT full-fee ownership of those portions of Highway 85 from UPRR, allowing it to make improvements in the future, if needed. UPRR will now have more room along the railroad to build spurs, which will help ensure railcars don’t block major roadways.

While Weld County, UPRR and CDOT all benefit from this project, each entity has contributed necessary improvements to ensure the 12 closures don’t hinder access to or from Highway 85 for business owners, homeowners and emergency response personnel. In 2018, Weld County and UPRR partnered on a project to alleviate switchyard congestion in LaSalle. And in advance of the board’s vacation of a portion of WCR 64, CDOT responded to many business and homeowners’ concerns about the closure restricting their access by constructing the Weld County Way, a new road connecting travelers from the Highway 85 bypass to O St. east, allowing convenient access to businesses and homes in this area.

“It’s been a long process, but I really appreciate the cooperation between Union Pacific, CDOT and Weld County,” said Mike Freeman, Weld County Commissioner Pro-Tem. “The willingness of everyone to be flexible to not only achieve agency goals but also meet the needs of residents now and in the future is what has made this project a success.”

Learn more about the Weld County Department of Public Works.