Emotions Carry Over To 2nd Meeting Of U.S. 36 Privatization
LOUISVILLE, Colo. (CBS4)- Strong emotions carried over to the second meeting to discuss the privatization of U.S. 36 that would turn over a toll lane to a private company for the next 50 years.
There were so many people who attended the second meeting on Thursday evening the venue was changed to a bigger location at an old Sam's Club warehouse in Louisville.
Some 250 people attended Wednesday evening's meeting in Westminster. The crowd was even bigger on Thursday night.
Critics have a lot of complaints about the new toll lanes coming to U.S. 36 including a deal that would allow a private company to take over the operation of the main highway between Denver and Boulder for the next 50 years.
Plenary Roads was chosen by the Colorado Department of Transportation to perform $425 million in construction on U.S. Highway 36 under a private-public partnership. The company would collect tolls from new lanes and will maintain and plow the highway.
RELATED VIDEO: What Privatization Means For The U.S. 36 Corridor
CDOT said it would take 20 years before there would be enough public funding for such a project. The deal is expected to close by month's end.
Under the proposed deal, Plenary Roads Denver would collect all revenues from the toll lanes currently being constructed in each direction of the turnpike.