Construction begins on dangerous Pueblo intersection where three were killed last year

Justin Reutter, Pueblo Chieftain
·3 min read

Construction has begun at the intersections of 36th Lane and U.S. Highway 50 and 36th Lane and U.S. 50 Business to improve pedestrian and motorist safety at the two east Pueblo intersections.

The first phase of construction is taking place on U.S. 50 Business from 33rd Lane to just past 39th Lane, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

The work will include:

  • Moving the stop line on 36th Lane to the U.S. 50 Business travel lanes, which will reduce the crossing distance for northbound and southbound vehicles turning left.

  • Installing raised islands with a pedestrian refuge area, allowing the stop line to be moved up and improving sight distances when crossing the intersection.

Construction crews work at the intersection of U.S. Highway 50 Business and 36th Lane on Wednesday, September 27, 2023.
Construction crews work at the intersection of U.S. Highway 50 Business and 36th Lane on Wednesday, September 27, 2023.

Phase two of the project is around the U.S. 50 and 36th Lane intersection, with construction between Baxter Road and 39th Lane. Safety improvements at that intersection will include:

  • Converting the right through lane of eastbound U.S. 50 into a right-turn-only lane a half-mile west of the 36th Lane intersection.

  • Installing an intersection "conflict warning system" that recognizes approaching traffic and illuminates warning signs, alerting motorists of vehicles approaching the intersection on both Highway 50 and 36th Lane.

  • Moving the stop line on 36th Lane up to the eastbound lane of U.S. 50 so that the right turn lane will not impact the view of motorists attempting to cross the intersection. CDOT says this also will reduce the crossing distance for northbound left-turning vehicles.

  • Installing raised islands, allowing the stop line to be moved up, and improving the sight distance when crossing the intersection.

"This type of safety improvement project is critical for semi-rural intersections that experience a high volume of traffic on a daily basis,” said CDOT Regional Transportation Director Shane Ferguson in a news release. “Our goal is to make the necessary upgrades to improve safety for traffic and pedestrians, especially with the number of schools in the area, while maintaining traffic flow along both highways.”

The project is scheduled for completion in December. Work hours are between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, with nighttime work "when necessary," according to the release.

Intermittent lane closures on U.S. 50, U.S. 50 Business, and 36th Lane will occur over the duration of the project, and construction trucks will be entering and exiting the zone.

Past coverage of this topic: Family, community remembers children killed in February car crash

Pueblo family whose loved ones were killed continues to campaign for stoplight

A roadside memorial for Trenton, Ada and Mckenzie Frazier is placed at the intersection of U.S. Highway 50 and 36th Lane in Pueblo.
A roadside memorial for Trenton, Ada and Mckenzie Frazier is placed at the intersection of U.S. Highway 50 and 36th Lane in Pueblo.

The CDOT project is not without its detractors. At least one local family does not believe the planned safety improvements are sufficient.

Chris Roberts, father of Mckenzie Frazier — a 6-year-old girl who was killed along with her brother, 13-year-old Trenton Frazier, and great-grandmother, 86-year-old Ada Frazier, in a fatal collision at 36th and U.S. 50 on Feb. 15, 2022 — told the Chieftain he was appealing to the governor's office to get a stoplight installed at the intersection.

Roberts stated he has also appealed to other politicians, including the local Democratic Party chair, to raise the issue with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.

The Frazier family has been campaigning for a stoplight since the deadly accident.

Roberts has repeatedly expressed his belief that CDOT's new safety measures would only make a dangerous intersection more dangerous, especially with many young drivers from three nearby school zones.

"With the number of high school teenage drivers around that intersection, they'll either get scared of driving through that intersection or they'll try to beat it," Roberts told the Chieftain Wednesday, referring to the conflict warning system.

"There needs to be a stoplight out there," he said. "The solution that they're proposing, it won't make things better — it may make them worse."

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Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter,@jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: CDOT begins construction on dangerous U.S. 50 intersections in Pueblo