Design and Construction Program Notes

by
David W. Lloyd, P.E., Chief, Design and Construction Program

The year 1999 was another busy year for the District’s Design and Construction Program, one which saw us committing over $9 million to design and construction projects by year end. Most of this funding has gone toward construction as well as initiation of several new design projects. Design and Construction currently has in excess of 80 active projects in varying stages from design through construction.

Marston Lake North Drainageway between Kenyon and Bear Creek was completed by late 1999, and has been another innovative project in solving a serious flooding problem within Fort Logan National Cemetery as well as a streambank stabilization problem between Kenyon and Bear Creek within Denver’s Bear Creek Park. A new overflow drainage structure was installed across Kenyon extending to Bear Creek in a closed conduit. Low flows continue through the existing culvert and meander down the 40-foot vertical slope to Bear Creek passing through a series of ponds and drops creating a water feature which blends in well with the park environment. This was a cooperative project with the City and County of Denver.

Kalcevic Gulch was another project completed in 1999 in cooperation with Adams County. Kalcevic Gulch between the Lower Clear Creek Canal and 70^th Avenue had long been a source of flooding problems and steam bank instability. The failure of 68^th Avenue due to overtopping floodwaters in the mid-nineties prompted Adams County to move this project forward with the District’s assistance. The project now provides 100-year flood protection through this reach of the gulch.

We also completed the last phase of improvements to Little Dry Creek in the City of Westminster. The last reach constructed this year extended from Lowell Boulevard upstream to England Park near 72^nd Avenue, and consisted of open channel improvements and grade control structures. The City of Westminster celebrated the completion of this multi-phased project through a dedication ceremony held on October 21. Mayor Nancy Heil (also a newly appointed UDFCD Board Member) officiated at the dedication and recognized several individuals from the City, District, Sellards & Grigg Consulting Engineers and contractors who had worked on the project since it’s inception in the late seventies.

Another unique project, which saw completion of it’s first phase of construction in 1999, was Grange Hall Creek in the City of Northglenn. This multi-phase project calls for stream bank stabilization and grade control along the main stem of Grange Hall Creek and its North Tributary from their crossings at the Union Pacific Railroad eastward to the Northglenn city boundary. Early in the design process, it was decided that we wanted to utilize a type of drop structure which would blend in more with the surrounding land forms. It was decided that a concrete drop utilizing colored concrete and free formed to give the appearance of a natural rock outcrop in the stream bottom would best serve this purpose. We recognized that most contractors would not have any experience in the construction of this type of faux rock drop and as a result we had Colorado Hardscapes construct a referee sample at the project site for contractors to view during the bidding process. Plans are to bid the second phase of construction early in 2000.

The year 2000 looks to be no less busy than 1999 with additional funding identified in the 5-Year Capital Improvement Program for 40 new or on-going projects.

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