Construction along Hwy 36, Lyons to Estes, extended into December
There is yet another delay in the completion of the Highway 36 Project, from Lyons to Estes Park. Now Crown Castle is stating that it will be completed in December 2022 (they put it at October, and then to November, and now December). It began in June 2021.
The project was given to Crown Castle by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). The project is being run and funded by Crown Castle, and in return they have given CDOT the right to access some of the fiber capacity for cameras and other traffic-related uses along the corridor. CDOT does not plan to use it to give out traffic tickets, but can use it for safety purposes, including traffic obstruction, congestion and accidents.
Currently there is no emergency 911 access in the canyon. This will also help when forest fire evacuations are issued. The broadband coverage will be available in the canyon, but not in the homes and businesses, who will still have to buy coverage through a separate internet provider.
When trenching began in early July 2022, CDOT put specific time restrictions for when lanes could be closed as well as for how long. In late summer they got a large number of complaints; and they warned Castle of contract breaches. Things improved noticeably. Some people were waiting up to two hours to get through the barriers and arrive home at night. In the last couple of weeks their waits have been 5 to 20 minutes long, and for short lengths of road, thereby, meeting the rules. Also, the lights and commotion that surrounded the equipment that was parked in the middle of Pinewood Springs has dissipated.
Initially they worked from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.; but now they work 24 hours a day, with a one hour break in the morning, and one hour in the evening. It appears that the trenching is done, and the focus is on finishing the installation of the thirty 32-foot high “nodes” along the corridor. There are also two small buildings/sheds along the route that house the fiber connections.
CDOT stated that the nodes are on public land and local entities (eg, Lyons) and CDOT have little control over what is done, except for safety issues. They have requested guard rails, however, as well as asking them to paint the structures brown to blend in with the natural environment. Some states have made their towers look like trees or cactus, but that adds hundreds of thousands of dollars for each tower.
