Project Overview

In the early 1900s, Denver was an active radium processing center. Radium was used for medical, equipment and security efforts during World War I. The production process created large amounts of waste materials called “tailings,” which were left in piles near the processing plants. In the 1920s, radium processing was discontinued in Denver and the tailing piles were abandoned as the radium processors closed business. Over the years some of these piles were moved around Denver and used as fill in street construction. In the late 1970s, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) located the tailings and initiated a cleanup by identifying the tailings as a Superfund Site, including several Denver streets built using the materials. The 11th Avenue and Marion Street Projects are a response to EPA’s designation of these Denver streets as part of the Superfund Site. The Projects will remove all contaminated materials in the streets and replace it with new asphalt paving.

11th Avenue and Marion Street Reconstruction

The City demolished and reconstructed the pavement on Marion Street from 6th to 10th and 11th Avenue from Josephine to Race Street in the spring and summer of 2003. The focus of these projects waws on remediation of the radium material, including removal, transportation, disposal of waste to licensed facility and reconstruction of the street to its original design condition. The reconstruction will include removal and replacement of the asphalt and will upgrade storm water inlets, provide handicap ramps at the intersections, and preserve all current driveway accesses. The curb and gutter on Marion Street is in poor condition and will be replaced. Although the radium material will be removed one block at a time to ensure proper management of all contaminated material, adjacent blocks may be affected by other construction equipment and activities.