US Hwy 50/Oak Street (SH-291) Intersection Preferred Alternatives
The City of Salida and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) continue to plan for a safe, vibrant, and multi-modal gateway along Oak Street (CO 291) beginning at the intersection with Rainbow Boulevard (US 50) and continuing north to Walnut Street near downtown.
An online survey was conducted in August 2020 to get residents’ feedback on alternatives presented for: traffic-flow design at the intersection of the two roads; the type of landscaping at the gateway; and roadway and pedestrian facility design along Oak Street, along with other amenities. The alternatives were all designed with safe, functional, and accessible access for vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists in mind, while being aesthetically pleasing. Traffic projections, long-range planning models, and CDOT traffic code were reviewed to ensure that the improvements will be viable for many decades into the future. The design team also made sure to align plans with the “Future 50” plan for US 50/Rainbow Boulevard, which was completed in 2019.
Over 200 survey responses were received, and the intersection option that garnered the greatest support was the 5-legged roundabout (Alternative #2). Native, drought-tolerant landscaping was the preference for enhancing the gateway’s appearance. Lastly, most desired to see bike lanes and a sidewalk along the Oak St. corridor, bordered by shade trees and “dark sky” compliant street lighting.
Transportation consultants, Stolfus & Associates, have provided a summary of their findings along with 3D renderings of how the 5-legged roundabout could look and function, as well as additional information on the project. We invite the Salida community to view the StoryMap and images, and to provide any additional input, via the link on the City’s website or directly at: https://arcg.is/1a4aam.
Consultants will provide a final report on their findings to the project team at the end of February. It is anticipated that this report and any corresponding recommendations will be presented to City Council sometime in March for potential adoption as part of the overall planning process. Completing that planning process will be the next step for considering improvements at a later date, to be determined.
