Two projects on North 9th Street in Cañon City to end soon after nearly a year of construction
CAÑON CITY, Colo. (KRDO) — Detours and street closures should disappear in a few weeks on two miles of 9th Street north of downtown, as crews wrap up a pair of improvement projects.
The first project began late last year on a half-mile segment south of the city limits between Washington Street and Meadows Avenue.
That segment was in poor condition because of previous excavations; crews widened and rebuilt the street and installed sidewalks for the first time — improving conditions for pedestrians.
The project officially ends on Wednesday as a segment reopens to traffic.
It’s a relief for the staff at JR’s Food Store, which had to close two hours early because of having fewer customers.
“There were quiet days, and there were still days that we were busy,” said manager Tina Reed. “But the contractors kinda made up for some of it. Just the business from them. 9th Street is very nice to drive on now.”
The second project was more impactful because it involved a water main replacement that cut through a residential neighborhood; crews are also repaving over it and installing a new concrete framework.
That was the longest segment, between Floral and Harding Avenues; much of that segment has reopened.
Work started in May, and officials said that it’s on schedule for completion in mid-October, when they expect to reopen the final three-block construction segment.
“This work was really needed,” said nearby homeowner Dawn Shaffer. “They were very generous and took our points into consideration when they were repaving the road, because we used to have a lot of bad flooding in this area. So, they were very considerate in that regard.”
Shaffer said that crews working near her property found a dinosaur fossil and gave it to her and her daughter, Eleanor.
“It’s a vertebra from some sort of long-tailed dinosaur,” Dawn revealed. “The museum said that it’s around 65 million to 70 million years old. It’s nice to know the value so we can insure it, at least.”
Another project that started two years ago will resume this fall: Relocating a natural gas line under railroad tracks at the east end of Main Street.
In the first attempt, the metal pipe broke underground; on the second try, the pipe damaged a city water line that required repair.
The contractor has since redesigned the relocation.
The city plans to start a stormwater project in the area once the gas line project is finished.
Residents are hoping for a break in major construction projects; in 2024, crews installed new crosswalks and signals on the west end of US 50 near downtown.
Last year, the city finished a beautification project on the west end of Main Street downtown.
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