SH 119 and Hover – Safely Connecting the Plains and the Foothills

US DOT BUILD Grant Application for the City of Longmont, Colorado

Sept. 25, 2020 update: The grant was not awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation

The skewed intersection at SH 119 and Hover Street in Longmont accommodates more of the traveling public than any of the other intersections along the SH 119 corridor between Longmont and Boulder. This intersection has long been known for its precarious, hairpin-like turn movements, poor transit and pedestrian and bicycle access.

Many commuters from rural counties north and east of the City of Longmont drive through this intersection to access jobs further south and west in the corridor, near the City of Boulder. By 2040, almost one-third of the traffic traveling through this intersection will be coming from or heading back to areas outside of Boulder County.

This map shows the relative peak traffic volumes entering Boulder County from Weld and Larimer Counties that pass through the gate on SH 119 and end their trip in central Boulder. The map does not account for the paths taken between the origin gates (green bars) and the middle filter gate (yellow bar).

Inter-county trips account for 28% of the total traffic passing through this gate on SH 119 in the morning peak.

Map courtesy of Streetlight Data.

Project Overview

The SH 119 and Hover Street intersection project is a grade separation of one direction of travel to facilitate safer, more efficient travel for the traveling public and the movement of freight between areas in rural Weld and Larimer Counties to job centers and critical destinations in central Boulder County. The intersection of SH 119 (also known as Ken Pratt Boulevard within Longmont) and Hover Street is a major intersection for the region and plays a vital role in the connectivity between urban and rural areas on the Front Range.

Transportation Challenges and Solutions

The needs of traffic, transit and pedestrian mobility are all critical to the region. This area currently experiences a disproportionate number of crashes based on the average daily traffic (ADT), the majority of which are rear end crashes. In addition, this intersection experiences high levels of congestion and idle time.

To improve the current state and mitigate these challenges, three major changes will be integrated into the design of the intersection including:

The proposed westbound through movement will be a grade-separated tunnel under Hover Street.
A completely separated bicycle and pedestrian path through the proposed tunnel, which will allow bicyclists and pedestrians to cross the north leg of Hover Street safely.
The bus stop at the existing SH 119 and Hover Street underpass will be maintained while also facilitating the proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route with a bus only queue jump/turn lane, including connected vehicle (CV) technology to support transit signal prioritization (TSP).