Construction underway to decrease high-risk crashes in Boulder along Folsom and Pearl Streets

Construction is underway to improve sections of Pearl and Folsom Streets in Boulder.

The city of Boulder says this area is known as a high-risk area, meaning serious crashes happen there more frequently. Over the last decade, there have been more than 500 serious crashes on Folsom Street alone.

The city says more than 22,000 vehicles travel daily on Pearl Street between 28th Street and 30th Street. There are more than 600 bicyclists and hundreds of pedestrians who travel along or across Pearl Street on an average weekday.

The city says between 12,000 and 14,000 vehicles travel daily on Folsom Street between Arapahoe Avenue and Pine Street. There are more than 600 bicyclists, and between 200 to 600 pedestrians that travel daily between Arapahoe Avenue and Pine Street.

The city says these are very busy roads for traffic, so these improvements are needed. Folsom Street and Pearl Street will be restriped. This will be for vehicle and bike lanes. The vehicle lanes will be slightly narrowed to slow down vehicles. The city says these improvements are needed, but everyone still needs to follow the rules of the road to make it safer.

"This means making that crosswalk a perfect place to cross," said Lucy O'Sullivan, Transportation Planner for the city of Boulder. "Making that bike lane somewhere you really want to ride. That really helps users do the right thing and follow the rules of the road."

On Pearl Street between 30th and Folsom streets, travelers can expect:

• Nighttime construction work until Thursday, July 23, between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., excluding the weekend nights of Friday, July 17, through Saturday, July 18.
• A full closure of the 30th Street & Pearl Street intersection during the weekday nights of July 15-16.

On Folsom Street between Pine Street and Arapahoe Avenue, travelers can expect:

• Daytime construction work between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., scheduled for July 17-28.

For each project, travelers can also expect:

• Approximately 2 weeks of construction. Work is weather-dependent.
• Continued access for all travel modes during daytime hours, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., on both weekdays and weekends. There will be periodic delays and detours, including bus stop closures and relocations.
• Local and business access will remain open during construction. Impacted residences and businesses have received a notice in advance of work.

The City says community members living and working in the area may experience impacts from construction noise, work zone lights, paving dust and vibrations from heavy machinery. The city recognizes road work is impactful during both daytime and nighttime hours and is balancing these as best as possible on these high-traffic streets in the heart of the city.