Update: Design Nearing Completion, Construction on the Horizon

March 2026

At the March 3, 2026 Edgewater City Council meeting, CDOT Project Manager Everett Bacon and the design team presented an update on the Sheridan Boulevard Corridor Safety Improvements project. The presentation covered the current state of the design, key changes from the original corridor plan, and the timeline to construction.

The full presentation is available in the Documents Section of the site.

Schedule

The project is in final design and on track to complete plans and specifications by August 2026, with the project advertised for contractor bids in September–October 2026. Construction is anticipated to begin in late 2026 or early 2027, with a duration of approximately 12 to 16 months.

A Key Design Change & Why It Still Meets the Goal

The original Sheridan Boulevard Multimodal Corridor Plan called for moving the west curb line, physically narrowing the roadway to address the well-known problem of drivers using the wide southbound shoulder as an unofficial travel lane.

During engineering and cost estimation, the design team determined that relocating the curb line would require moving storm drainage infrastructure buried several feet underground, as well as rebuilding road grades across a significant portion of the corridor. The cost of that work would have substantially exceeded the project's available budget.

In response, the design team developed an alternative approach using a combination of raised center medians, floating islands, and curb extensions (bulb-outs). These elements work together to narrow the effective driving surface, restrict unsafe turning movements, and create a physical buffer between pedestrians and moving traffic. This meets the corridor's safety and traffic-calming goals without requiring major drainage reconstruction. Floating islands are specifically designed to allow stormwater to pass around them, eliminating the need to relocate existing drainage inlets.

What the Finished Corridor Will Feel Like

For those reviewing the presentation slides, it helps to understand what the design is responding to. What looks like a four-lane road on Sheridan today is, in practice, operating more like six lanes, drivers regularly use the wide center turn lane and the southbound shoulder as through lanes. The project is designed to change that by eliminating excess pavement.

The slides include a photo of Federal Boulevard as a reference point for what the finished Sheridan corridor is intended to resemble: a road with a landscaped center median, clearly defined travel lanes, and a more comfortable environment for people on foot. The design drawings show north to the right, which is worth keeping in mind when reading the before-and-after comparisons at each segment.

A few specific details worth noting: the new mid-block pedestrian crossing (HAWK signal) between 22nd and 24th Avenues was sited at that location based on pedestrian count data, proximity to existing bus stops, and the concentration of pedestrian activity on the north side of Sloan's Lake. Near 26th Avenue, the existing sidewalk on the east side of Sheridan is currently just three feet wide, well below the four-foot minimum and five-foot standard, and the project will bring it up to the five-foot target, requiring a modest shift of the travel lanes to accommodate the space.

Construction: What to Expect

Construction work will occur primarily during nighttime hours (approximately 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.), similar to the Denver Water pipe replacement currently underway on the corridor. All lanes of Sheridan Boulevard will remain open to traffic during daytime hours throughout construction.

Property owners and businesses along the corridor are being notified of changes to driveway access through a formal permitting process. Right-of-way and easement notifications are being issued beginning Spring 2026. During construction, the contractor will manage direct outreach to affected properties in accordance with CDOT specifications.