Construction Completed
The Elkhorn waterline replacement project was successfully completed in May 2023. Our new water line is fully operational and delivering water to customers along Elkhorn.
The Town Board voted to approve the Water Division expediting significant water main upgrades on Elkhorn Avenue between Moraine and MacGregor Avenues at the Board’s Feb. 14 meeting. Construction is expected to begin in February and last into April. Detailed schedule information will be provided here as it becomes available.
The work will replace an old water main prone to breaking, disrupting water service and traffic in the Town’s busiest commercial areas. Construction during the project will require one-way westbound traffic between Riverside Drive and Moraine Avenue. Eastbound traffic will be routed to Rockwell Street. Sidewalk construction will be limited to installing new fire hydrants and new valves to the properties. Those valves will be located just beyond the road's edge, in the sidewalks. To the furthest extent possible, sidewalks will remain open for pedestrian traffic. The Water Division will contact properties along Elkhorn Avenue as more information becomes available.
The Town has experienced two significant Elkhorn Avenue water main breaks within the past three years, indicating more frequent breaks to come. In August of 2019, shortly after Elkhorn Avenue received a new asphalt layer, a water main break destroyed the asphalt from curb to curb near the Municipal Building. On Dec. 20, 2022, another water main break blocked holiday traffic and triggered a water service outage for all businesses on the 100-block of East Elkhorn Avenue.
Town of Estes Park Utilities Director Reuben Bergsten commented, “We understand this work is inconvenient; we are working to minimize the impacts to businesses and traffic through downtown. Completing this work in cooperation with the upcoming Downtown Estes Loop project will reduce the overall duration and negative impacts to our community.” Once completed, the new water main will minimize the risk of future water leaks in one of the busiest roads and highest-density commercial areas in Estes Park.
For more information, please get in touch with Water Supervisor Jason Lang at 970-577-3622 or jlang@estes.org.