Roadwork complete, county road 77 reopened

Published on November 22, 2023

Since June, the Weld County Department of Public Works has been working diligently toward improving Weld County Road (WCR) 77 between WCR 100 and Highway 14 north of Briggsdale. That effort has now been realized as the project is complete, and the road has been reopened.

“This road is one critical to both residents and the energy industry in northern Weld County, and we’re pleased to deliver improvements we believe will make the road safer and more efficient for years to come,” said Kevin Ross, Commissioner Coordinator of Public Works.

Improvements on the five-mile stretch of road centered heavily around rebuilding the road’s structure using full-depth reclamation (FDR). A process used by Public Work in recent years, FDR allows crews to use a portion of a road’s existing asphalt to strengthen its structure, assuming that the existing asphalt and material beneath it are in good condition. This process saves time and taxpayer dollars as crews use less new material.

While most may only notice the new driving surface, the project involved much more, including strengthening the structure of the road with subgrade work and the application of new base course. The road has also been widened to accommodate an eight-foot shoulder — six-foot paved, two-foot gravel — on both sides. An emergency pull-off area has also been installed and crews replaced 10 culverts throughout the project.

“This project required a complete team effort from the many divisions in our department and speaks to our commitment to deliver the highest quality improvements to the traveling public,” said Curtis Hall, Director of the Weld County Department of Public Works. “This is a key route used in northern Weld County by those in the agricultural and energy industries, and we’re confident these improvements will enable WCR 77 to meet the growing demand.”

The project is only the first for WCR 77. Public Works plans to continue rehabilitating the road north to WCR 136 in the coming years, although the exact scheduling and scope of work is still being determined.

Work at a glance

Project length: Five months

Asphalt removed: 19,300 tons

New asphalt placed: 45,456 tons

Base course placed: 23,497 tons

Days spent removing asphalt: 33

Days spent paving: 34

Bulk cement for FDR: 3,016 tons

Culverts replaced: 10

Signs placed: 26

Delineators placed: 35

Acres seeded and mulched: 28

Erosion logs placed: 50

Silt fence placed: 2,821 linear feet