Whether you drive along Sheridan Boulevard, ride your bicycle down the U.S. 36 Bikeway, or take an RTD bus from the US36/Sheridan Station, you will soon notice a major improvement in how you get around Westminster.
The Sheridan Boulevard Multimodal Transportation Improvement Project – also known as the Sheridan Underpass – is nearing completion and will open Saturday, June 10. The new underpass will make several key connections and improvements to one of Westminster’s busiest corridors.
Through a mix of federal and state funding, this $12-million investment includes the creation of a new pedestrian path underneath Sheridan Boulevard for commuters and bicyclists, as well as several improvements for drivers at the street level including an additional lane for traffic and upgraded lights, signals, and medians, making travel easier to Downtown Westminster.
Debra Baskett, senior transportation and mobility planner for Westminster, said the project combines several elements that will improve connectivity and make the area much more enjoyable to use no matter which mode of transportation is being utilized.
“The U.S. 36 Sheridan Underpass is a project that is really important regionally as well as locally,” she said. “It’s important to mobility and important to economic development. We have all the elements of doing the right project in the right place. We thought about cars, we thought about people walking, and we thought about people biking and connecting to Downtown Westminster.”
The Sheridan Underpass adds a critical off-street connection for the U.S. 36 Bikeway which provides cyclists a safe and nearly uninterrupted bike path from Boulder to Denver. The area around Sheridan Boulevard and 88th Avenue was one of only two places where the U.S. 36 Bikeway was interrupted by a street crossing, and the new underpass allows cyclists to continue their route without having to dismount, wait for a crossing signal, then cross several lanes of auto traffic.
“The Bikeway creates a 12-foot wide direct ‘highway for bicyclists’ with connections to local cycling facilities and wayfinding to make it easy and safe to connect to the communities and activity centers along the corridor,” said Commuting Solutions Executive Director Audrey DeBarros. “This critical intersection connects cyclists and other users to the RTD US36/Sheridan station and to the Downtown Westminster community, strengthening the connection between modes of transport.”
Seth Plas, capital projects administrator for Westminster, said being able to build multiple connections in one project was a win-win for all types of users.
“We were able to improve this area and make it a safer, more consistent corridor,” he said. “The connection to the US36/Sheridan RTD station is key because it’s one of their busiest park-and-rides in the system. And for vehicle traffic, this used to be a place where Sheridan reduced to two southbound lanes, creating a difficult movement for traffic coming off of U.S. 36 or trying to turn right on West 88th Avenue. Now it’ll be a consistent three lanes for motorists, and bicyclists and pedestrians can continue on their way without crossing traffic.”
The project began construction in 2021, and employed an innovative approach of bringing contractors and partners to the table early on to help solve for various challenges and prevent major delays. This collaboration with community partners enabled the project to be completed under the official budget of $12.1 million, coming in at a total cost of $11.6 million.
“Day-to-day impact was factored into design of the work from the very beginning,” Plas said. “We knew this was an area that has seen a lot of construction, and we didn’t want to be a burden. This was a good project that proves if you have the right people at the table, you can get meaningful work done.”
A grand opening for the Sheridan Underpass is scheduled for Saturday, June 10 from 9-11 a.m. on the west side of the underpass. Event parking is available in Downtown Westminster off 89th Avenue & Eaton Street. The event will include a ribbon cutting and free snacks provided by Wafflerita food truck. More information about the project and the grand opening event can be found at www.westminsterco.gov/SheridanUnderpass.
Please note that as work is being completed there may be additional temporary lane shifts along Sheridan Boulevard. Please drive carefully, and thank you for your patience as City staff completes this important connection for Westminster.