Big Things Littleton

Littleton-Big-Things-placeholder-logo.png

Welcome to Big Things Littleton: the source for the most up to date information on construction, improvements, and investments being made in the city.

Introduction

Thanks to Littleton voters approving ballot question 3A in 2021, the city is making progress on major construction and capital projects that pave the way for significant transportation improvements, economic growth, and innovation.

Projects range from road/bridge maintenance to pedestrian and cyclist safety to meaningful connections among Littleton’s cultural gems. Below you will find a lot more detailed information on projects we have in the works and potential impacts for the public.  

Here’s a look at some of the items on the docket in 2024

  • Work will begin on a multi-phase effort to construct a new multimodal trail along Slaughterhouse Gulch, ultimately connecting the Mary Carter Greenway to the Community Trail, beginning with the segment in Geneva Park between Prince Street and Rio Grande Street. 
  • Intersections on Platte Canyon Road at Mineral Avenue and Bowles Avenue will receive pedestrian, bicycle, and transit safety improvements, signal equipment replacement, and vehicle capacity improvements.
  • Construction will begin on pedestrian and bicyclist safety projects on Mineral Avenue east of Santa Fe Drive, including safe crossings, paved multi-use trails, and buffered bike lanes.
  • Reconstruction of the intersection of Prince Street and Church Avenue, including new concrete pavement, traffic signal replacement, widening the sidewalk across the Prince Street bridge, and installation of bike lanes on Prince Street from Lake Avenue to Alamo Avenue.
  • Bowles Avenue and Bell Flower Drive will receive ADA-focused crossing improvements and signal replacements.
  • Church Avenue will receive buffered bike lanes, improved pedestrian crossings, and ADA ramp upgrades between Rapp Street and Nevada Street, in coordination with Prince Street upgrades.
  • Construction will begin in partnership with Douglas County and the City of Centennial on the widening and reconstruction of County Line Road from Broadway to University Boulevard, including sidewalk additions, noise walls, and a new traffic signal at Clarkson Street.
  • Construction to begin on the “quad road” intersection redesign at Santa Fe Drive and Mineral Avenue, to improve safety and capacity by rerouting left-turn movements.
  • Road surfaces in Aberdeen Village will be regraded and repaved.
  • Damaged concrete infrastructure will be removed and replaced at numerous locations citywide, preparing for a project to mill and overlay asphalt road surfaces in 2025.
  • Mill and overlay work in the Arapaho Hills neighborhood.
  • Deficient joints on the Mineral Avenue bridge over the South Platte River will be replaced, smoothing the roadway for motorists. 

Safer Streets Littleton 

The City of Littleton is embarking on Safer Streets Littleton, an ambitious effort to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety through an accelerated pace of infrastructure upgrades, increased traffic enforcement, and public education.   

City council has directed the Public Works Department to prioritize and accelerate related projects. City officials are coordinating with Littleton Public Schools to ensure effective implementation of traffic safety measures. Public Works will add two new positions in 2024 to help address the increased pace of work. 

Learn more about Safer Streets

Traffic Calming Measures Evaluation 

Existing traffic calming measures in Littleton will get an evaluation this summer, as the city’s planners and engineers look to optimize safety for all users as part of the Safer Streets Littleton initiative.   

Littleton’s public works team is contracting with David Evans and Associates to conduct a citywide analysis of traffic calming devices installed over the last several decades and make recommendations for the future.  

The six-month Littleton Traffic Calming Measures Evaluation will include:  

  • Data analysis regarding current speed limits, traffic volume, crash history, and speed data, to identify areas with higher crash rates and disparities between posted speed limits and observed speeds.  

  • Assessment of existing infrastructure, including the effectiveness of Littleton’s current variety of traffic circles, speed humps, raised crossings, and other devices including those planned for pilot projects.  

The assessment will guide the creation of best practices for traffic calming measures, and recommendations for potential future traffic calming locations around the city. The findings will be incorporated into the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program to help guide future resident-driven infrastructure improvements.   

The Littleton Traffic Calming Measures Evaluation is one component of the Safer Streets Littleton initiative, a comprehensive effort to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety citywide built on education, enforcement, and infrastructure.   

School Zone Evaluation 

Pedestrian and bicyclist safety in Littleton school zones will get a comprehensive evaluation this spring as part of the Safer Streets Littleton initiative. 
 
In partnership with Littleton Public Schools and the Littleton Police Department, the City of Littleton’s Public Works department enlisted Y2K Engineering, which specializes in transportation safety, to analyze 13 school zones across Littleton starting in April through the end of the school year in May. 
 
As part of the project, observers will review each school’s student drop-off and pick-up routines, including analysis of traffic circulation, pedestrian crossings, safety signage and equipment, and other aspects of travel to and from schools. The project team will also interview each school’s principals and School Resource Officers (SROs) about traffic patterns and pedestrian safety. 
 
After the observation period, Y2K will prepare a report with recommendations for improving pedestrian and bicyclist safety, evaluating factors like the size of school zones, location of flashing signs, the need for traffic calming infrastructure, the effectiveness of traffic circulation patterns, the sufficiency of crosswalks, and more. 
 
Public Works will use the report to guide short- and long-term safety upgrades in school zones. 

Increased Enforcement 

Officers from the Littleton Police Department are stepping up traffic enforcement in school zones, part of the Safer Streets initiative to increase pedestrian and bicyclist safety citywide. 
 
In February alone, LPD officers made nearly 90 traffic stops around schools, issuing dozens of tickets for speeding, disobeying traffic signals, and other infractions. Officers will maintain an increased presence around schools throughout the school year. 
 
It is the responsibility of all drivers to help ensure the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians. 

New Crosswalks 

As part of the Safer Streets Littleton initiative, 20 new crosswalks will be striped this spring near eight schools within the City of Littleton:  

  • Centennial Academy of Fine Arts: 2  

  • Damon Runyon Elementary School: 1  

  • Euclid Middle School: 4  

  • Goddard Middle School: 4  

  • Little Raven Elementary School: 2  

  • Littleton Preparatory Charter School: 1  

  • Powell Middle School: 4  

  • St. Mary’s Catholic School: 2  

These new crosswalks will promote safer crossings for students walking, biking, and rolling to school. 

More Safer Streets Projects 

  • The installation of numerous speed feedback signs within school zones to alert drivers of the school zone and to capture speed and traffic volume data.   

  • Numerous bicycle safety pilot projects, including buffered or protected bike lanes on several miles of city streets in five locations (Pennsylvania Street/Phillips Avenue, Sheridan Boulevard/Tule Lake Drive, Irving Street, Windermere Street between Layton Avenue and Belleview Avenue, Belleview Avenue west of Lowell Boulevard).   

  • Four trail crossing pilot projects, identified in the Littleton Linkages Trail Study.   

  • Eight improved crossings on TrailMark Parkway.   

  • The addition of Safe Routes to School wayfinding signage near schools.   

 

 

2023 Recap 

It’s been a BIG year for capital and infrastructure improvements, thanks to additional sales tax revenue collected over the past two years. While the work will continue, here’s a recap of some of the projects that have been completed or are near completion:

  • Construction of three raised pedestrian crossings downtown. View details on the project page.
  • Roughly 25 miles of pavement preservation. View the map of the planned streets(PDF, 4MB) and watch the “Around Town with Jim” video to learn more about this project.
  • Replacement of traffic signal systems at nine intersections along Broadway, Bowles Avenue, and Mineral Avenue
  • Hot in-place recycling (a process that rehabilitates asphalt) along County Line Road
  • Aberdeen Village drainage, including replacing/installing storm sewer and inlets at intersections of Longview Street and Lakeview Street, and Lakeview Street and Aberdeen Avenue.
  • Mill and overlay (a process that involves grinding up existing asphalt and applying new material) in Happy Homes and Aberdeen Village neighborhoods
  • Installation of fiber optic communication for traffic signal systems along Broadway between Powers Avenue and Arapahoe Road. View the phase 1(PDF, 342KB) and phase 2(PDF, 289KB) maps.

BIG THINGS to come

The completed projects are just a snapshot of the planned infrastructure improvements. Here are projects that are slated to start soon:

  • Updates at Reynolds Landing Park, including restoring the South Platte River, making the park ADA accessible, and creating a tubing area for families. Watch “Around Town with Jim: Reynolds Landing Update” to learn more.
  • Improvements to make the Mineral Transit Station more accessible to pedestrians and cyclists within one mile east of the station. Learn more on the project page.
  • Reconstruction of the intersection of Church Avenue and Prince Street, including widening the sidewalk on the east side of Prince Street and striping dedicated bike lanes on both roadways
  • Pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular safety improvements at Platte Canyon Road and Mineral Avenue and Platte Canyon Road and Bowles Avenue intersections. Find out more details on the project page. 
  • Improvements along the Slaughterhouse Gulch Trail between Prince Street and Rio Grande Street

The city’s public works department is identifying priorities for 2024. Be sure to check back for project updates.

Project Resources

Visit the Capital Projects Dashboard to track the status and location of capital projects. This dashboard is updated regularly as new details become available.

Drainage and Sewer

Sanitary Sewer Rehab

Description: Trenchless rehabilitation of existing sanitary sewer pipe at multiple locations. 
Purpose: Allows aging sewer infrastructure to be rehabilitated, extending service life with minimal disruption and disturbance.
Impact: Intermittent and temporary lane closures along determined street locations.
Anticipated Construction: Summer 2023 - Fall 2023
Budget: $350,000

Sanitary Sewer Interceptor

Description: Trenchless rehabilitation of existing sanitary sewer interceptor pipe at multiple locations
Purpose: Allows aging sewer infrastructure to be rehabilitated, extending service life with minimal disruption and disturbance.
Impact: Intermittent and temporary lane closures along various locations.
Anticipated Construction: Summer 2023 - Winter 2023
Budget: $1,600,000

Sanitary Sewer Replacement

Description: Intercepting sanitary service lines currently routed across Little’s Creek at S. Sterne Pkwy and W. Weaver Ave into a new sewer main within S. Sterne Pkwy. Removing and replacing existing sewer mains and a manhole located north of the Rose Garden, West of Ketring Park.
Purpose: Replace aging sewer infrastructure and protect water quality of Little’s Creek.
Impact: Intermittent and temporary lane closures along S Sterne Pkwy and W Weaver Ave, and Bemis St for approximately 3 months.
Anticipated Construction: Summer 2023 - Fall 2023
Budget: $400,000

Storm Drainage

Description: Removing, replacing, and enhancing storm drainage infrastructure at W. Latonka Rd and S. Lowell Blvd. Removing and replacing damaged storm drainage infrastructure at Lowell Blvd and Chateau Beaumar.
Purpose: Replace, repair, and enhance existing storm drainage infrastructure and reduce street flooding.
Impact: Intermittent and temporary lane closures along S. Lowell Blvd and W. Latonka Rd for approximately 3 months.
Anticipated Construction: Summer 2023 - Fall 2023
Budget: $400,000

High Line Canal at Euclid Storm Drainage

Description: Reconstructing storm sewer at High Line Canal behind Fire Station 12 to discharge instead into the canal rather than underneath the canal to an area farther west. Addition of inlets on Euclid Ave to discharge storm flows to the canal.
Purpose: Alleviate frequent flooding experienced at Euclid Middle School property from offsite flows (the storm sewer that currently runs underneath High Line Canal from Fire Station 12 and other areas of Broadway, and discharges on school property).
Impact: Temporary High Line Canal trail detours or narrowing of trail to accommodate adjacent construction activity.
Anticipated Construction: Summer 2023 - Fall 2023
Budget: $100,000

Aberdeen Village Drainage

Description: Replacing/installing storm sewer and inlets at intersections of Longview St/Lakeview St, and Lakeview St/Aberdeen Ave. Concurrent with roadway mill and overlay project.
Purpose: Replacing non-functional storm drainage systems, improve drainage and alleviate ponding, and particularly at Lakeview/Aberdeen area.
Impact: Temporary traffic disruption around active work zones for 2 months.
Anticipated Construction: Summer 2023 - Fall 2023
Budget: $250,000 (for drainage work)

Trailmark Underdrains

Description: Installing approximately 2,000 LF of underdrain along W Belfast Pl and S Holland Way.
Purpose: Improve drainage and reduce impacts of subsurface water for residents.
Impact: Intermittent and temporary lane closures along W Belfast Pl and S Holland Way for approximately 3 months.
Anticipated Construction: Summer 2023 - Fall 2023
Budget: $150,000

Facilities and Fleet Updates

Cultural Connection for Bemis Library and Littleton Museum

Description: Design of safer and more intentional connection between the Bemis Library and Littleton Museum including a children’s programming area.
Purpose: Safer connection, outdoor programming for children.
Impact: none during design
Anticipated Construction: NA, design only June 2022 - Fall 2023
Budget: $160,000

Ketring Park, Gallup Park, Library, and Museum areas Master Plan (Project page)

Description: Development of Master Plan that incorporates Ketring Park, Gallup Park, Gallup Gardens, Library, Museum, and surrounding areas.
Purpose: Planning document to help guide decision making for future projects in this footprint that encourages better connection between the sites.
Impact: none during design
Anticipated Construction: NA, design only Spring 2023 - Spring 2024
Budget: $180,000

Parks and Open Space

Grounds, Open Space, and Recreation Planning

Description: This plan will establish a vision for the next phase of master plan guidelines and implementation plan.
Purpose: Anticipated 6 month process for developing recommendations to inform the next phase of guidelines and implementation plan.
Impact: None, but a robust community engagement process is anticipated.
Anticipated Construction: NA, design only, Spring 2023 - Fall 2023
Budget: $100,000

Pedestrian and Bike Safety

Raised Pedestrian Crossings (Project page)

Description: Construction of raised pedestrian crossings and Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at high volume pedestrian crossings in proximity to the Downtown Littleton Transit Station. 
Locations include:

  • Main Street at Bega Park
  • Alamo Avenue at Bega Park
  • Prince Street at Little’s Creek

Purpose: Improved pedestrian safety due to visibility, as well as vehicular traffic calming.
Impact: Intermittent and temporary lane closures and extended street closures, as well as sidewalk closures.
Anticipated Construction: Spring 2023 - Winter 2023
Budget: $1,100,000

Traffic Signal Replacement

Description: Replacement of traffic signal poles and equipment at 9 intersections where the poles were found to be structurally deficient and recommended for replacement following a 2019 assessment. At some intersections all four poles will be replaced, while at other intersections it may be only one or two poles.

The intersections include:

  • Broadway and Powers Avenue
  • Broadway and Orchard Road
  • Broadway and Broadway Estates
  • Broadway and Easter Avenue
  • Bowles Avenue and Coventry Lane
  • Bowles Avenue and Bellflower Drive
  • Bowles Avenue and Middlefield Road
  • Mineral Avenue and Southpark Terrrace
  • Mineral Avenue and Pennsylvania Street

Purpose: Replace structurally deficient traffic signal poles and upgrade equipment.
Impact: Intermittent and temporary lane closures and sidewalk closures. Occasional night work to place new mast arms and removal.
Anticipated Construction: Fall 2022 - Fall 2023
Budget: $2,600,000

Downtown Mobility and Streetscape

Description: This plan will provide a collective framework for long-term improvements related to mobility, placemaking, pedestrian safety, streetscape improvements, and green infrastructure.
Purpose: Anticipated 12-month planning process to establish long-term vision for Downtown Littleton. This effort will be followed by design for the implementation of phased improvements.
Impact: This will be a community-driven effort accomplished through a wide-reaching engagement effort.
Anticipated Construction: NA, design only Spring 2023 - Spring 2024
Budget: $382,000

Street Improvements and Maintenance

County Line Road Widening

Description: Cooperative project with Douglas County and City of Centennial to widen County Line Road to 4 lanes from Broadway to University Avenue. Includes major drainage improvement at Lee Gulch, the addition of a traffic signal at Clarkson Street, and noise walls on the north side adjacent to residential properties.
Purpose: Improved roadway capacity and safety.
Impact: Intermittent and temporary lane closures for 18 months.
Anticipated Construction: 2023 - 2025
Budget: $21,000,000

Hinsdale Ave Repair

Description: Repair of roadway settlement on Hinsdale Avenue Village. The project will involve excavation to a depth of 3 feet and replacement of the subgrade with compacted soil and geogrid, and asphalt pavement.
Purpose: Repair roadway settlement.
Impact: The street is currently closed, so there are no anticipated impacts beyond noise.
Anticipated Construction: Spring 2023 - Summer 2023
Budget: $250,000

Happy Homes and Centennial Acres

Description: Remove the top 2 inches of asphalt pavement from the surface of the streets in the Centennial Acres and Happy Homes Neighborhoods. After the surface material is milled off, full depth patching will be performed in severely deteriorated locations, and then a 2 inch asphalt overlay will be placed.
Purpose: Improved safety, drainage, and preventative maintenance to avoid full reconstruction on the involved roadways.
Impact: Intermittent and temporary lane closures throughout the Happy Homes and Centennial Acres Neighborhoods for 3 months.
Anticipated Construction: Summer 2023 - Fall 2023
Budget: $2,000,000

Aberdeen Village 

Description: Remove the top 2 inches of asphalt pavement from the surface of the streets in Aberdeen Village, excluding Elati Street, which was milled and overlaid last summer by city crews. After the surface material is milled off, full depth patching will be performed in severely deteriorated locations, and then a 2 inch asphalt overlay will be placed. This project will involve replacing some severely damaged concrete and several minor drainage upgrades to the neighborhood.
Purpose: Resurfacing provides a safe and smooth driving surface and prolongs the life of the underlying pavement. Improved safety, drainage, and preventative maintenance to avoid full reconstruction on the involved roadways.
Impact: Intermittent and temporary lane closures throughout the Aberdeen neighborhood for 3 months.
Anticipated Construction: Summer 2023 - Fall 2023
Budget: $1,500,000

Slurry Seal on 25 miles of Roads; Concrete Replacement  

Description: Replacing concrete prior to performing patching on roadways, and then completing a slurry sealing application on 25 lane miles of roadways. 
Purpose: Slurry seal is a preventative pavement management technique that seals the surface and prolongs the life of the underlying pavement. It seals against invasive moisture, mitigates UV damage, breaks down oils in the asphalt, and adds traction to the surface.
Impact: During concrete replacement parking on the street may be unavailable at specific locations. Some disturbance of landscaping and potential damage to nearby sprinklers may occur. Any damage will be repaired as soon as possible but citizens are encouraged to contact the city if any additional repair work is necessary. During the slurry seal application phase there will be approximately two months of temporary roadway closures and some mild shedding of the new aggregate from the seal. Residents will be notified of the closures ahead of time and may contact the city to ask for additional street sweeping for debris removal.
Anticipated Construction: Summer 2023 - Fall 2023
Budget: $750,000 for concrete and $1,500,000 for Slurry Seal

Technology Upgrades

Description: Installation of fiber optic communication along Broadway between Powers Avenue and Arapahoe Road, including signal equipment upgrades.
Purpose: More reliable communication with signalized intersections, upgraded traffic signal equipment and more efficient signal operations.
Impact: Intermittent and temporary lane closures along Broadway for three months.
Anticipated Construction: Spring 2023 - Summer 2023
Budget: $1,100,000

Contact Us

For questions contact:

Littleton Public Works
2255 W. Berry Avenue
Littleton, CO 80120
303-795-3863 

 

 

Back to top