Two Rivers Parkway now fully open

Published on July 21, 2023

A goal that began in February to deliver numerous maintenance enhancements to Two Rivers Parkway has now been reached as the road is now officially fully open. The project was an effort from many divisions within the Weld County Department of Public Works to ensure the road — which has an average daily traffic rate of 9,825 vehicles — can continue to meet traffic demand now and in the future.

“This maintenance project was a big undertaking and speaks to the ability and teamwork of our Public Works department to complete this project as quickly as possible, despite dealing with several rainstorms, which delayed the full opening by a few weeks. This project also continues a vision past commissioners had over two decades ago when Two Rivers Parkway was initially created,” said Mike Freeman, Weld County Commissioner Chair. “Most importantly, and perhaps most exciting, is that we are offering a better road to the thousands of residents who use it every day.”

For the past five months, Public Works has worked to strengthen the 5-mile road by replacing several culverts, completing shoulder work, and rebuilding the driving surface — a process which involved tearing out existing asphalt on the north and south sides of the road, rebuilding it from its base and installing a higher-grade of asphalt, designed to help a driving surface last 25 years before major maintenance is needed. A complete rebuild with new asphalt was also performed on the county’s portion of Weld County Road 378, a half-mile stretch of road east of Two Rivers.

Additionally, TLM Constructors worked with Public Works’ engineers to deliver several enhancements to the bridge, which was originally built in the ’70s. Crews addressed concrete erosion on the side of the bridge, rebuilt and applied new asphalt to the driving surface and installed bridge rails and guardrails. Environmental staff helped ensure the project had proper drainage, and maintenance support helped ensure safety by making sure road closure signs and barricades were installed and in good condition.

“We know maintenance and construction projects are an inconvenience, and we appreciate the public’s patience and understanding while we worked to complete this project,” said Curtis Hall, Director of the Weld County Department of Public Works. “As much as we disliked delaying the full opening by a few weeks due to rain, I’m proud of the effort of our team, and I think our residents will enjoy the many benefits of this maintenance project for years to come.”

By the Numbers

Project length: Five months

Asphalt removed: 25,300 tons

New asphalt placed: 27,500 tons

Base course placed: 17,800 tons

Days spent removing asphalt: 30

Days spent paving: 31

Culverts replaced: Seven

Email alerts sent: 11

Total number of subscribers: 473

Challenges of Mother Nature

While getting the entire road open by July 1 was originally planned, Mother Nature interfered. Consistent rain slowed progress. In fact, from April 18, through July 17, Greeley received between 13 to 16” of rain, according to the Colorado Climate Center.

Time had to be allocated to allow the road to dry, while some work had to be redone. At times, crew members primarily working on Two Rivers Parkway were dispatched to other areas of the county to treat other roads affected by rain.