A construction project that could displace several Olde Town homes and businesses and cut access to Grandview Avenue from the Wadsworth Bypass will be considered by City Council next month.
On Aug. 1, the council will consider the final design for the Wadsworth Bypass railroad grade separation.
In a project that would cost about $25.5 million to $30 million and take about 18 months to complete, Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks would be separated from Wadsworth Bypass and Grandview Avenue.
The Wadsworth Bypass would be lowered and then two bridges would be built over it — one carrying the railroad and the other carrying Grandview Avenue.
The result would be improved traffic flow along the bypass, eliminating delays for travelers and for emergency service providers, officials said.
But 13 businesses and five residences would have to be displaced to acquire 2.6 acres of right-of-way.
Of those, 12 businesses are west of the bypass between Ralston Road and Grandview Avenue, and one business is east of the Wadsworth Bypass.
Access to Grandview Avenue could be eliminated, and signs would be added in the area to direct people to Olde Town Arvada, officials have said.
The timeline for acquiring property in the right of way and for the work on the final design would begin in August and be completed by spring 2006, according to a city report. The Colorado Department of Transportation plans to go to bid on the project in May and begin construction in the summer, according to the report.
Several business owners at a recent hearing expressed concern about the impact of the project and if they could lose business.
“I’m just really concerned about the cutoff of Grandview,” said Elaine Kamatzar of Arvada Stationary.