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Cleave Street Improvements

Utility Replacement & Relocations

The Public Works Department is grateful for the community's patience as the Cleave Street Improvements Project continues. Following are project communications as of March 22, 2024:

NACC Construction (Xcel Energy contractor) Progress Report

The new gas main and service line installations have been completed. Some concrete restorations are still needed on private property and will soon be scheduled with those individuals by a subcontractor of NAAC Construction. This work, as well as permanent asphalt patching of Big Horn Drive and Lawn Lane (where the old gas main was abandoned), is expected to take place within the next 2-3 weeks.

Pauley Construction (CenturyLink Lumen contractor) Progress Report

March 25-May 1: Pauley Construction continues relocations and expects to be largely complete by the end of April. This work is now expected to be intermittent and generally less disruptive than the work on the gas main, with no road closures expected to take place at this time. More information will be provided as it becomes available.

Town of Estes Park's Power & Communications (P&C) & TDS Progress Reports

TDS continues the design of their relocations (expected to take another 1-2 weeks). The schedule for the P&C and TDS combined relocations remains under discussion and we hope to have an update within the next 2 weeks. More information will be provided as it becomes available.

Construction Project Status

Public Works continues discussions with the low bidder regarding scheduling of the roadway and amenity construction portion of the project. Since the completion date of all utility relocations remains uncertain, subcontractors of the low bidder have not yet provided an update on cost estimates and availability for a new timeline. More information will be provided as it becomes available. 

Cleave Street Construction Documents - 100%

Cleave Street Concept Plan

This project is funded with Street Improvement Funds from the one percent sales tax approved by voters under the 2014 Ballot Issue 1A. 

Please check this webpage for regular updates.
 

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Project Contact Details

To help ensure that your specific concerns and questions can be efficiently addressed, please reach out directly to the Town staff or utility contacts designated below. 

Town of Estes Park Public Works
Jamin Rucker, Civil Engineer & Primary Town Contact | jrucker@estes.org | 970-577-3736
Jeff Bailey, Town Engineer | jbailey@estes.org | 970-577-3586

Weekly email communication sign-up: Contact Lani McDonald, Administrative Assistant | lmcdonald@estes.org | 970-577-3587

Town of Estes Park Power & Communications
Tyler Boles, Line Crew Supervisor | tboles@estes.org | 970-577-3607

Xcel Energy/NACC Construction
James Lynch, Site Foreman | 303-345-7002
Adam Green, Superintendent | adam.green@naccconstruction.com | 720-979-8513

CenturyLink/Pauley Construction
Josh Mankin, Site Superintendent | 303-901-0490
 

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Project Updates History

03.15.2024

NACC Construction (Xcel Energy contractor) Progress Report

March 18-22: Finish service installation. Retire old main/clean-up/de-mobilize. Status: 90% complete (delayed by two weeks from original schedule). The winter storm halted progress this week. Two service connections remain, and the contractor plans to return mid-week on March 20 with a target date of March 22 for completion.

Pauley Construction (CenturyLink Lumen contractor) Progress Report

March 11-22: Splice new lines and services. Status: Delayed by one week from the original schedule. The winter storm halted progress this week. Contractor plans to return the week of March 18 to complete splicing.

March 25-April 5: Remove overhead infrastructure/clean-up/de-mobilize.

Town of Estes Park's Power & Communications Progress Report

Public Works held a meeting this week with TDS Telecom and Power and Communications (P & C) to discuss scheduling and collaboration concerning the overhead infrastructure relocation of both parties. TDS will design their relocations and schedule their work to be concurrent with P & C trenching. More information will be provided as it becomes available. P & C staff continue to await testing by Xcel Energy to confirm no leaks are present in the area. The leak test will be completed after all gas service lines are installed.

Construction Project Status

Public Works continues discussions with the low bidder regarding scheduling of the roadway and amenity construction portion of the project. Since the completion date of all utility relocations remains uncertain, subcontractors of the low bidder have not yet provided an update on cost estimates and availability for a new timeline. More information will be provided as it becomes available. 

03.08.2024

NACC Construction (Xcel Energy contractor) Progress Report

February 9 - March 8: Install services. Status: 80% complete. Progress is slow due to subsurface frost conditions and depth of service lines (delayed by one week from original schedule).

March 11-15: Finish service installation. Retire old main/clean-up/de-mobilize (delayed by one week from original schedule; pending winter weather the week of March 11).

Pauley Construction (CenturyLink Lumen contractor) Progress Report

February 28-March 8: Trench and install new cables on the west and east sides of Cleave Street. Status: Complete.

March 11-22: Splice new lines and services.

March 25-April 5: Remove overhead infrastructure/clean-up/de-mobilize.

Town of Estes Park's Power & Communications Progress Report

The Power & Communications Division (P & C) work to begin the undergrounding project continues to be on hold while staff await testing by Xcel Energy to confirm that no leaks are present in the area. When the P & C project starts, staff will begin their work east of Big Horn Drive and proceed westward as Xcel completes the gas main relocation.

Construction Project Status

The roadway and amenity construction portion of the Cleave Street Improvements project has been delayed. An updated timeline will be provided in early March. 

03.01.2024

Neighborhood Meeting Follow-Up
We greatly appreciate those who were able to attend the meeting on February 29 to share their preferences and concerns, and also those who responded to our poll from last week. The large majority of the respondents were in favor of a work stoppage beginning as early as May 24, but no later than June 30, with construction resuming on October 21. While no promises can be made at this time, Town Staff remains committed to working with the Contractor to accommodate these requests, while also addressing the impacts of the utility relocation delays. Town Staff is committed to providing and maintaining an all-weather surface on Cleave Street for the duration of the no-work period. It is expected that proper placement of the all-weather surface will take at least one week, and will occur when work on Cleave Street is paused for the summer. New schedule information will be provided in this weekly update as soon as it becomes available.

NACC Construction (Xcel Energy contractor) Progress Report

February 9 - March 8: Install services. Status: 60% complete. Progress is slow due to subsurface frost conditions and depth of service lines (delayed by one week from original schedule).

March 11-15: Retire old main/clean-up/de-mobilize (delayed by one week from original schedule).

Pauley Construction (CenturyLink Lumen contractor) Progress Report

February 28-March 8: Trench and install new cables on the west and east sides of Cleave Street. Status: West Cleave Street trenching is complete.

March 11-22: Change over services to new underground lines.

March 25-April 5: Remove overhead infrastructure/clean-up/de-mobilize.

02.23.2024

Neighborhood Meeting Request
This week we learned of additional utility relocation work that will prohibit the road contractor from starting work on March 4, as represented in our contract documents. We have removed the contract approval request from the February 27 Town Board meeting agenda. Our office needs to reestablish a realistic construction schedule for the road work and confirm if either of the two bidders are willing and able to meet the revised schedule. We believe the road work will require four continuous months of warm, dry weather for completion. Before we define the new roadway construction schedule, we would like to meet with the impacted parties and learn your preference from among the following options:

1) Start construction immediately upon completion of the utility work, pausing for no construction July 1- October 20 and resuming construction after October 21.
2) Start immediately upon completion of the utility work and continue building through the summer until the work is done.
3) Postpone the start of roadway construction until after October 21.  
4) Another timeline. 

We want to hold this meeting the week of February 26. Please contact publicworks@estes.org if you have a preferred day of the week or time of day for this meeting, or to reply with your preference from the four options listed above.

NACC Construction (Xcel Energy contractor) Progress Report

February 9 - March 1: Install services. Status: 30% complete. Progress is slow due to subsurface frost conditions and depth of service lines.

March 4-9: Retire old main/clean-up/de-mobilize

Town of Estes Park's Power & Communications Progress Report

The Power & Communications Division (P & C) work to begin the undergrounding project continues to be on hold while staff await testing by Xcel Energy to confirm that no leaks are present in the area. When the P & C project starts, staff will begin their work east of Big Horn Drive and proceed westward as Xcel completes the gas main relocation.

Construction Project Status

The roadway and amenity construction portion of the Cleave Street Improvements project has been delayed. An updated timeline will be provided in early March. 

02.16.2024

NACC Construction (Xcel Energy contractor) Progress Report

February 9 - March 1: Install services. Status: 10% complete. Progress is slow due to subsurface frost conditions and depth of service lines.

March 4-9: Retire old main/clean-up/de-mobilize

Early this past week, an incident occurred in which a telecommunications and internet cable was cut by the Xcel subcontractor installing gas services. This resulted in loss of telephone and internet service for several businesses. CenturyLink was notified and able to make the necessary repairs. Contractors are required to notify 811 immediately whenever they damage a subsurface utility, which expedites notification of the affected utility provider and initiates the repair process.

This type of incident should be a rare occurrence. However, should anyone experience an outage of any type, please contact your service provider right away, and then notify Public Works so that we can gather information and attempt to expedite the repairs.

Town of Estes Park's Power & Communications Progress Report

The Power & Communications Division (P & C) work to begin the undergrounding project continues to be on hold while staff await testing by Xcel Energy to confirm that no leaks are present in the area. When the P & C project starts, staff will begin their work east of Big Horn Drive and proceed westward as Xcel completes the gas main relocation.

Construction Project Status

The contract for the roadway and amenity construction portion of the Cleave Street Improvements project is expected to be presented to the Town Board on February 27; once signed and approved, the construction timeline can be finalized and then released to the public.

02.09.2024

NACC Construction (Xcel Energy contractor) Progress Report

January 4 - February 8: Install gas main. Status: Completed.

February 9 - March 1: Install services. Status: On-Schedule.

March 4-9: Retire old main/clean-up/de-mobilize

Concerns have been raised over the possibility of gas service outages as each of the individual service lines are connected to the new main, and whether customers would receive adequate notification. Town staff reached out to Project Superintendent Adam Green (NACC Construction) and received this reply:

“We do not expect any outages or disruption of service to any buildings/customers at this time. We put the building on a portable tank while we switch over the meter from the old service to the new one so service is not interrupted. We will be in contact with the individual customers while we perform this work to make sure everything is working like it should.  We will not start this process until most of the new service lines are installed and ready to switch over. Our meter techs that do the tie overs will only need a couple of days to do their work so we like to get them started when we are close to being complete with the underground work. We are planning on working the service installation from east to west.”

Town staff hope that NACC's statement alleviates any concerns, but please do not hesitate to reach out for further information. 

Town of Estes Park's Power & Communications Progress Report

The Power & Communications Division (P & C) work to begin the undergrounding project continues to be on hold while staff await testing by Xcel Energy to confirm that no leaks are present in the area. When the P & C project starts, staff will begin their work east of Big Horn Drive and proceed westward as Xcel completes the gas main relocation.

Construction Project Status

A notice of award for the roadway and amenity construction portion of the Cleave Street Improvements project was issued on January 29. Once a contract is signed and approved by the Town Board, the construction timeline can be finalized and then released to the public. 

02.02.2024

NACC Construction (Xcel Energy contractor) Report

January 4 - February 2: Install gas main. Status: Completed.

February 5 - March 1: Install services

March 4-9: Retire old main/clean-up/de-mobilize

Town of Estes Park's Power & Communications Division Report

The Power & Communications (P & C) work to begin the undergrounding project continues to be on hold while staff await testing by Xcel Energy to confirm that no leaks are present in the area. When the P & C project starts, staff will begin their work east of Big Horn Drive and proceed westward as Xcel completes the gas main relocation.

Construction Project Status

Prospective contractor bids for the roadway and amenity construction portion of the Cleave Street Improvements project were opened on January 25; a notice of award was issued on January 29. Once a contract is signed and approved by the Town Board, the construction timeline can be finalized and then released to the public. 

01.26.2024

NACC Construction (Xcel Energy contractor) Report

January 4-February 2: Install gas main. Status: 70% completed. We were delayed due to weather last week. The rock has been getting worse, so it's slow going.

February 5 - March 9: Install services

February 12-16: Retire old main/clean-up/de-mobilize

Town of Estes Park's Power & Communications Division Report

The Power & Communications (P & C) work to begin the undergrounding project continues to be on hold while staff await testing by Xcel Energy to confirm that no leaks are present in the area. When the P & C project starts, staff will begin their work east of Big Horn Drive and proceed westward as Xcel completes the gas main relocation.

01.19.2024

NACC Construction (Xcel Energy contractor) Report

January 4-26: Install gas main. Status: 35% completed. Slow due to solid rock and frost. Contractor lost two days to cold weather this week.

January 29 - February 9: Install services

February 12-16: Retire old main/clean-up/de-mobilize

Town of Estes Park's Power & Communications Division Report

The Power & Communications (P & C) work to begin the undergrounding project is still on hold while staff await testing by Xcel Energy to confirm that no leaks are present in the area. When the P & C project starts, staff will begin their work east of Big Horn Drive and proceed westward as Xcel completes the gas main relocation.

01.12.2024

NACC Construction (Xcel Energy contractor) Report

January 3: Mob to jobsite. Status: Completed

January 4-26: Install gas main. Status: 20% completed. Slow due to solid rock and frost. Cold temps and snow forecasted over the weekend and next week could impact this further.

January 29 - February 9: Install services

February 12-16: Retire old main/clean-up/de-mob

Town of Estes Park's Power & Communications Division Report

Power & Communications staff expect to begin the undergrounding project either next week (January 16-19) or the following week (January 22-26), depending on the timing and results of testing by Xcel Energy to confirm that no leaks are present in the area. They will begin their work east of Big Horn Drive and proceed westward as Xcel completes the gas main relocation.

01.05.2024

NACC Construction (Xcel Energy Contractor) began relocation of the gas main on January 4. Due to an unfortunate breakdown in communication, neither the public nor the Town was given prior notice of the work starting. The Town sincerely apologizes for the inconvenience caused by this breakdown and is taking steps to improve communication about all future project activities. As of January 12, the Town intends to provide the weekly updated construction schedules for each of the utility relocations. Meanwhile, as of today, please see the following schedule for the ongoing Xcel work:

January 3: Mob to jobsite
January 4-19: Install gas main
January 22 - February 2: Install services
February 4-9: Retire old main/clean-up/de-mob

Civil Engineer Jamin Rucker (contact details below) of the Town’s Public Works Department now serves as the project’s public communications liaison and will promptly respond to project schedule changes and the needs of the public. Direct communication with the individual utility contractors will always be most expedient; see the Project Contact Details tab below. However, Jamin is the primary point of contact when the utility contractors are unavailable or Town involvement is required. Please reach out to Jamin with project questions or if you are unsure which utility contractor is currently working in your vicinity.

Project Communications Liaison
Jamin Rucker, Civil Engineer
Town of Estes Park Public Works Department
170 MacGregor Ave
Estes Park, CO 8051
970-577-3736
jrucker@estes.org

 

Construction Project Advertised for Bid

The roadway and amenity construction portion of the Cleave Street Improvements Project was advertised for bidding as of January 4, 2024. Interested bidders can access all bid documents on BidNet or the Town of Estes Park website. Prospective contractor bids will be opened on January 25 at 2:00pm MST, at which time the Town can begin contract negotiations with the lowest responsible bidder. Once a contract is signed and approved by the Town Board, the construction timeline can be finalized and then released to the public. 

November 2023

In October 2023, the Estes Park Sanitation District completed the replacement of their Cleave Street facilities. Next, in early December, the Town of Estes Park's Power and Communications Division will begin the process of undergrounding the overhead electric lines. Timing of Xcel Energy’s significant gas main relocation is still yet to be determined, as is CenturyLink’s minor communications line work.

Due to the unforeseen delays with the utility relocations, the actual construction for the Cleave Street Improvements project is now planned to begin in the first quarter of 2024. The project is expected to be advertised for bidding in December 2023 with the intention of having a construction contractor under contract by mid- to late January 2024. The timing of the remaining utility work will dictate when roadway construction can commence. 

June 2023

All are now invited to review the 100% design plans provided in the links below. Public comment on the design may be emailed to engineering@estes.org.

Cleave Street Construction Documents - 100%

Cleave Street Concept Plan

April 2023

All are now invited to review the 90% design plans provided in the links below. 

Cleave Street Construction Documents - 90%

Cleave Street Cost Estimate - 90%

Cleave Street Concept Plan

January 2023

The Downtown Plan, input received at public meetings, and comments received through October 2022 have all been considered by the Cleave Street Improvements project team throughout the design development and revision process. All are now invited to review the 60% design plans provided in the links below.  

Cleave Street Construction Documents - 60%

Cleave Street Cost Estimate - 60%

Cleave Street - Big Horn Drive NWC Curb Extension

Cleave Street Concept Plan     

November 2022

Community members were encouraged to learn about the Cleave Street Improvements project and provide input on the preferred design concept at a public meeting held Thursday, Oct. 20, at Town Hall. The Downtown Plan, input received at the public meeting held on Aug. 25, and the results of the August public survey were all considered in the development of the preferred design concept. Public comments on this design were invited through Oct. 27 and considered by the project team during the revision process.

View the revised design concept - Oct. 27, 2022

View the preferred design concept - Sep. 21, 2022

Download the preliminary parking mitigation options

October 2022

Community members were encouraged to learn about the Cleave Street Improvements project and provide input on the preferred design concept at a public meeting held on Thursday, Oct. 20, at Town Hall. A project overview was presented by Kimley-Horn, the Town’s engineering consultant. Residents, business owners, property owners, and others interested in this project were encouraged to attend, and Public Works staff were available to discuss the project. Download the meeting flyer.

The Downtown Plan, input received at the public meeting held on August 25, and the results of the August public survey were all considered in the development of the preferred design concept that was presented at the meeting. Comments on this preferred design concept were invited through Oct. 27. 

Town staff also presented a plan to lessen the impacts of the loss of parking along the corridor; download the preliminary parking mitigation options.

August 2022

A public meeting featuring conceptual design options was held on Thursday, Aug. 25, at Town Hall. A project overview was presented by staff from Kimley-Horn, the engineering consultant. Residents, business owners, property owners, and others interested in this project were encouraged to attend.  An online survey was also made available Aug. 17-29 to gather public comments on the designs. View the survey results: 

Cleave Street Improvements - Survey Response Summary, September 2022

Cleave Street Improvements - Full Survey Responses with Design Options, September 2022 

After Aug. 19, Town Engineering Staff and the design team reviewed the survey and public meeting comments and began developing a design that best addresses the concerns raised and feedback received. This design will be brought forward for comment at a public meeting to be scheduled in mid-October.

July 2021

This project is on hold pending completion of the Town's Comprehensive Plan. This plan may revise the vision for the future of downtown Estes Park, including Cleave Street.

May 2020

This project is on hold due to budget modifications from COVID-19. The status of this project will be reevaluated as the budget year progresses.

Winter-Spring 2020

Community engagement planning.

January 2020

Consultant selected; design work begins.

December 2019

Proposals due.

November 2019

Request for Proposal released.

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About the Project

Adopted in 2018, the Estes Park Downtown Plan identified Cleave Street as a prime location for redevelopment. Cleave Street is located in the heart of historic downtown and parallels Elkhorn Avenue. It is a mixed-use area that includes front and back business entrances.

Cleave Street provides access to several residences including affordable housing units managed by the Estes Park Housing Authority. Fall River runs through a park adjacent to this street; and there is on- and off-street parking. Lack of continuous sidewalks makes Cleave Street unsafe for pedestrians. The narrow width of the street and its substantial slope create drainage problems and unfriendly facilities for cyclists and persons with disabilities. Utilities located in this area - power, water, and sewer - are in desperate need of upgrades and relocation.

The Cleave Street improvements are centered around realistic solutions that work for a variety of travel modes and offer an improved on-street experience. Cleave Street is utilized by a mixture of business deliveries, residents, bicyclists, and pedestrians parking and walking into downtown. Three main goals of the project are to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and connectivity, improve intersection crossings, and upgrade ADA compliant accessibility. Improvements may include increased roadway definition, which can help reduce speed; delineation for delivery driver and loading areas; marking for residential parking; and increased signage along the street.

Storm water from Cleave Street drains into the Fall River. Another main goal of the project is to identify and enhance stormwater and drainage management and capacity in the area. The project may include green street design elements and non-traditional stormwater techniques such as bioretention, rain gardens, infiltration, grass swales or buffers, and proprietary devices to treat stormwater. The project may also include material recycling during construction.

Kimley-Horn engineering services was selected as the design team to work with the community and Town to figure out Cleave Street’s short- and long-term future. They will be conducting public outreach meetings, presenting concepts, and designing plans for construction. Interim improvements focused mostly on street and drainage, and addressed some pedestrian areas. Long-term improvements will include stormwater issues, sidewalks, and utilities.