Weld County, Adams County and Thornton to partner on stoplight

Published on June 24, 2024

Plans are underway to install a stoplight at the intersection of Weld County Road (WCR) 2 (168^th Ave.) and WCR 13 (Colorado Blvd.).  Earlier this month, the Weld County Board of Commissioners signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) to share installation, operation and maintenance costs with Adams County and Thornton, as each entity shares jurisdiction of the intersection.

The IGA comes after the City of Thornton, the lead agency on the project, applied for and received a Highway Safety Improvement Program Grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation in the amount of $614,700.  The grant requires a 10% local match of approximately $68,300, which will be split in the following ways:

• As the lead agency, Thornton will contribute $34,150, manage the project and choose a contractor to construct and install the stoplight.
  
  
• Adams County, which has jurisdiction of 168^th Ave. south of the intersection and Weld County, which has jurisdiction of WCR 13 (Colorado Blvd.) north of the intersection will each contribute $17,075.

Ongoing maintenance and operating costs will continue each year in the same fashion, with Thornton responsible for 50% of the cost and Weld County and Adams County responsible for 25%. The Weld County Department of Public Works estimates the county’s cost each year to be approximately $1,600.

The stoplight will aim to increase safety and efficiency at the interaction, which sees heavy use, especially in peak evening hours. The intersection has an annual daily traffic rate of 10,010 vehicles, according to the Weld County Department of Public Works.

The project is expected to start in 2026.