Making safer connections along the High Line Canal

DENVER (CBS4) – The High Line Canal runs 71-miles along the Front Range, and in places it crosses some pretty major roads. One of the key goals of the Plan for the High Line Canal is to make those crossings as safe as possible.  Now bikers, walkers, runners, and all trail users have a continual path under Parker Road at Mississippi in Denver.

"This was a really challenging intersection," said Josh Phillips, Director of Planning and Implementation for the High Line Canal Conservancy.

Trail users would have to cross a turn lane on Mississippi, and then cross 5-lanes of traffic on Parker Road to pick up the trail again. It was a dangerous situation for everyone, trail users and motorists alike.

"These major arterials create barriers where users are forced to stop and maybe turn back around, and go back the other direction," Phillips explained.

When there is an underpass, it provides a safe continual path, with an option to access the intersection. This new underpass joins the one at Hampden & Colorado that finished in 2020. They were both major infrastructure projects that required Federal funding, and cooperation from several jurisdictions to get done.

"These are really expensive trail improvements, but they're so important to provide a safe and connected experience for users," Phillips told CBS4.

"It's a wonderful trail," said Rick Sutton, as he walked his dogs.

"It's a fantastic improvement…really glad to see that this was done," added Cindy Sutton, Rick's wife.

The High Line Conservancy is coordinating several more of these large infrastructure projects. There will be an overpass on I-70 at Tower Road, which will connect the trail to Green Valley Ranch. As crews widen Santa Fe in Douglas County, they'll add an underpass there too.

LINK: Register for Walk FOR the Canal

The High Line Canal Conservancy is raising money for more trail improvements through it's Walk FOR The Canal. The Walk runs from June 20-26, 2022, and the money raised goes to pay for new signage, benches along the trail, tree planting, among other projects.