Highway 83 to undergo major changes amid crash concerns

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A large stretch of a major state highway known for dangerous driving conditions will see several safety improvements in the coming years, with some projects already completed.

“I don’t think that Highway 83 has changed much from when I was a state trooper patrolling it, and it was dangerous then,” Commissioner

Lora omas, one of Douglas County’s elected leaders, said in April. “So when people slow and make a left turn, whether they use their turn signals or not, that’s a recipe for disaster.”

A main tra c artery that runs through Douglas County, State Highway 83 — known in at least some areas as Parker Road — is set to see a laundry list of changes.

“ e safety analysis shows portions of this roadway that experience crash rates above average for this type of corridor,” a planning document for the improvements says. at includes changes near Franktown Elementary School

Improvements will be made between Bayou Gulch Road — a short drive south of the Town of Parker — to Palmer Divide Avenue, the border between Douglas and El Paso counties.

A total of 25% for the town’s executive director and town manager’s salary A total of 50% for the town’s economic development director’s salary A total of 100% of the town’s PAR redevelopment coordinator

Additionally, PAR plans to reimburse the town around $46,000 for the cost of support functions from Human Resources, Information Technology, Finance and Accounting, Risk Management and the Clerk.

According to the agreement, PAR will also give the town $22,000 to rent o ce space in Town Hall. “ is will also allow us to adjust those numbers annually based on budget appropriations, instead of having to amend those agreements everytime we need to update those numbers,” said Feazell.

According to Feazell, the biggest change to the agreement is identifying all the capital projects PAR is funding that the town has approved for construction.

In other business, the council approved the Parker Water and Sanitation District’s proposed Regional Filtration Annex building and facility within the Salisbury Equestrian Park, on the east side of Salisbury Park.