Project Overview
The goal of this project was to improve local drainage in the Cherry Creek East neighborhood by reducing street conveyance west toward the Cherry Creek business district. The system intercepts flows on Ellsworth Ave. and transfers them to Steele St. via a 42" storm sewer. The system along Ellsworth Ave now addresses multiple complaints from homeowners and business owners in the area. Although the tall buildings and trees on the corridor provide winter shade which is prone to icing, the new inlets at each corner will greatly reduce the summer flooding and winter icing issues.
Also included on this project were upgraded ADA Ramps, new asphalt pavement, traffic calming bump outs for pedestrian safety and green infrastructure planters with trees and vegetation that will provide water quality improvements prior to discharging into Cherry Creek. Concrete Works of Colorado was the awarded contractor for the City and County of Denver. Construction began August 2021 and took approximately eight to ten months to complete.
- Summer 2020 – Design of Phase 1 will be brought to 100%. Design is currently at 100%.
- January 2021 – Phase 1 of the project (Steele to Cook) will be advertised for construction.
- Spring 2021 – A contractor will be selected to construct Phase 1, and the contracting process will occur.
- Summer 2021 – Construction of Phase 1 will begin and is anticipated to take six months to a year.
- Phase 2 (Cook to Garfield) construction TBD
Construction Updates - Week of August 22, 2022
CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE FOR PHASE 1 –
Steele St. to Cook St. on Ellsworth Ave.
Construction on Ellsworth Ave. between Steele St. and Cook St. is complete. All streets have been reopened to the public; no more closures are anticipated. Should any temporary work need to be done, please obey all signage for your safety and the safety of workers.
Steele St. Median
Construction of the medians is complete. The new median design will have reduced water usage and more aesthetically pleasing trees and landscaping for the Cherry Creek neighborhood. Landscaping work will be completed by Parks and Rec. in late 2022 / early 2023.
RTD Route Changes
The new RTD bus stop on Adams St. and Ellsworth Ave. will be operational beginning in September 2022. Riders will continue to use the temporary stop on the north side of Bayaud between Steele St. and Adams St. until September 2022.
Advance work for Phase 2
The community might see crews along Ellsworth Ave. between Cook St. and Garfield St. in the coming months as Xcel Energy will be involved in utility relocations. Construction on Phase 2 is anticipated to begin early 2023.
Location
This project is located on Ellsworth Ave between Cook St and Steele St.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ellsworth Avenue FAQ's
What is the purpose of this project?
The goal of this project is to improve local drainage in the Cherry Creek East neighborhood by reducing street conveyance west toward the Cherry Creek business district. The system would intercept flows on Ellsworth Ave. and transfer them to Steele St. via a 42" storm sewer. This project will address multiple complaints from homeowners and business owners in the area. Although the tall buildings and trees on the corridor provide winter shade which is prone to icing, the new inlets at each corner will greatly reduce the summer flooding and winter icing issues.
What is Green Infrastructure?
Green infrastructure planters with trees and vegetation will provide water quality improvements prior to discharging into Cherry Creek.
How long will construction take?
Concrete Works of Colorado has been awarded the contract. Phase I will begin early August 2021 and take about eight to ten months to complete.
What is included in Phase I?
Ellsworth Ave and Steele St Intersection: A 42” storm sewer pipe will be installed at the Steele St intersection. Improvements will also include corner curb and drainage improvements and updates to disabled access.
Ellsworth Ave from Steele St to Adams St: In addition to the storm sewer system along Ellsworth, improvements to the Adams Street intersection will include Green Infrastructure at all four corners, as well as improved disabled access. The bus stop will be relocated from the south side of Adams to the north side of Adams. It is anticipated there will be impacts to off-street parking.
Ellsworth Ave from Adams St to Cook St: In addition to the storm sewer system along Ellsworth, improvements to the northeast corner of Cook Street intersection will include Green Infrastructure, as well as improved disabled access. Improvements to the northeast corner of the Cook intersection will also include a traffic calming curb treatment. In areas where off-street parking is allowed, the loss of up to one parking space is anticipated on each corner.
Will there be street closures?
Steele St will have one lane in both directions open-at-all times, the right turn lanes entering and exiting the Cherry Creek Shopping Mall will be open-at-all times. As work proceeds east, portions of Ellsworth St will be closed in both directions so the contractor has room to work and for public safety.
Who maintains the Green Planters?
While we always welcome support from local residents and businesses, the City will maintain any Green Infrastructure that is installed.
What are the construction hours?
7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Weekend work may need to occur at certain times.
Will there be water outages?
There will be temporary water disruptions as service is transferred from the old system to the new system. Disruptions will be kept to a minimum. Residents will be notified of the timing and details of the outage in advance.
Will there be electric outages?
We do not anticipate electric outages.
Will I have access to my driveway?
While Ellsworth Ave will be closed to through traffic during construction, we will maintain access to garage entrances for the-majority-of the project until we install pipe sections in front of the entrances preventing safe access. This is work anticipated to take between one and two weeks. When pipe work is planned in front of garage entrances, we will communicate in advance of the closure and provide a handful of “Business Parking Permit” spots on the nearby side street to minimize the impacts.
Will there be nighttime construction?
The City is not planning on allowing night work for this project. Residents and business owners will be notified if scope changes.
Will trash collection be disrupted?
The contractor will work with the trash collection trucks to allow access to garbage cans.
Will sidewalks remain open?
Pedestrian detours will be posted with signage. For the safety of pedestrians, they will not be allowed to cross near construction.
What is the location of Phase I?
The project is located on Ellsworth Ave. between Cook St and Steele St.
Who do we contact for more information?
Public Communications:
City and County of Denver:
Construction Contractor:
Archive Events - Walk and Talk
PLEASE JOIN US:
"Walk and Talk": Ellsworth Avenue Storm Phase 1 - Steele St. to Cook St.
- Date: Thursday, July 15, 2021
- Time: 5:00-6:00 p.m.
- Location: Meet at the corner of Ellsworth Ave. and Cook St.
The Event:
This block-by-block, Walk and Talk is designed to be a casual interactive discussion with the contractor and City and County of Denver construction management team. The tour will begin at Ellsworth Ave. and Cook St. and proceed west to Ellsworth Ave. and Steele St. From there, the tour will cross Ellsworth Ave. and proceed back to the starting point at Cook St. The discussion will include project highlights from corner to corner and what can be expected including traffic/pedestrian impacts, suggested detours and final product.
Safety Precautions:
- Participants will be provided with safety vests as we walk the area.
- Participants that are not fully vaccinated are encouraged to wear face masks. Other participants may wear face masks if they choose.
Questions: Please contact Linda Wilson: linda@lindawilson.net
Archive Construction Updates
Week of August 9, 2021
Starting August 9, 2021 - Lane shifts will occur from 1st Avenue to Bayaud on Steele Street
- Electronic message boards have been installed notifying motorists of major lanes shifts from August 9 through November 24, 2021.
- Lane shifts will occur from 1st Avenue to Bayaud on Steele Street.
- RTD Rider Alert - for more schedule information visit www.rtd-denver.com
The following stops are closed from Mon, August 9, 2021 through Wed, June 1, 2022 due to construction:
- S Steele St & Ellsworth Ave (#21849) (eastbound)
- S Steele St & Ellsworth Ave (#16656) (westbound)
Affected Routes:
- 3 Board at the temporary stop located on Bayaud Ave at Steele St.
- 46 Board at the stop on Adams St. at Ellsworth Ave
- 83D Board at the temporary stop located on Bayaud Ave at Steele St.
- 83L Board at the temporary stop located on Bayaud Ave at Steele St.
Project Overview
The purpose of the Wabash/Willow Alley Improvements Project was to address ongoing storm water ponding and pooling. Under previous conditions, two low points in the alley between Wabash Street and Willow Street between 11th Avenue and Richthofen Place resulted in ponded storm water that had a negative impact on residents whose properties back to the alley. This project installed of a new 15-inch stormwater pipe, a new drop inlet within the alley and regraded the alley to funnel storm water to the existing storm pipe on Richthofen Place. The alley was then repaved with concrete.
Sidewalk Replacements began mid-August 2021
New sidewalks were installed on the north side of 11th Avenue between Willow and Verbena Streets and on both sides of Richthofen Place between Willow and Wabash Streets. This results in more effective storm water drainage, improved alley surface condition, enhanced pedestrian access and safety. Construction begin mid-August and continued through September 2021.
Location
The storm water pipe project is located in the alley between Wabash Street and Willow Street between 11th Avenue and Richthofen Place.
The sidewalk replacements will be installed on the north side of 11th Avenue between Willow and Verbena Streets and on both sides of Richthofen Place between Willow and Wabash.
Project Overview
The goal of this project was to improve the drainage in this sump area to mitigate ponding and/or flooding that occured in larger storm events. New inlets were placed in S Quitman St and a new 18 inch to 24-inch storm drain was installed to convey storm water runoff to an existing 24 inch storm main in W Cedar Ave at S Perry St. Inlets were also placed at the intersection of W Cedar Ave and S Quitman St, but the existing inlets at W Cedar Ave and S Perry St remained.
This project results in more effective storm water drainage, new asphalt pavement and ADA Ramps which enhance pedestrian access and safety. Concrete Works of Colorado is the awarded contractor for the City and County of Denver. Construction occured early 2022 and took approximately three to four months to complete.
Location
The project is located in between S Perry St. and S Quitman St. on W Cedar Ave. & in between W Cedar Ave. and W Bayaud Ave. on S Quitman St.