Triview is advancing a project to enhance safety and traffic flow along a 5,500-foot stretch of Higby Road.

The Triview Metropolitan District is moving forward on the necessary steps for a $12.6 million improvement project involving a portion of Higby Road in Monument, spanning from Jackson Creek Parkway to Harness Road.

Key components of the project include the installation of two roundabouts aimed at improving traffic movement and reducing accidents. Traffic engineers from Colorado Department of Transportation said studies indicate roundabouts can decrease fatal and injury crashes by approximately 80 percent.

The project includes the introduction of pedestrian crossings to facilitate safer passage for students and other foot traffic. Infrastructure enhancements would also feature a five-foot-wide sidewalk on the north side of Higby Road and an eight-foot-wide, multi-use trail on the south side, catering to both pedestrians and cyclists.

The inclusion of shared bicycle lanes and center islands is designed to prevent hazardous left turns, thereby bolstering overall road safety, the project website stated. Moreover, these improvements are expected to provide better access routes in the event of a wildland fire, enhancing emergency response capabilities.

A community survey conducted in December revealed nearly two-thirds of voters would support a ballot measure permitting the district to secure funding for this $12.6 million project without raising taxes. Pending funding approval from the district board and its voters, construction is slated to commence this summer.

“We originally thought this project was going to be about four or five million, and over the last few years, it’s more than doubled in price,” Triview general manager Jim McGrady said. “If the measure doesn’t pass, you’re probably looking at a five-to-seven-year project compared to two. That’s the problem; the longer you wait, the more expensive it gets.”

In March 2019, the Triview Metropolitan District and the Town of Monument initiated discussions with El Paso County to annex Higby Road into the town’s jurisdiction.

“The whole concept was to get control of that road so that we could then begin the process of improving it,” Jim McGrady said.

This move aimed to address increasing traffic and safety concerns along the stretch between Jackson Creek Parkway and Harness Road, especially with anticipated residential developments in the area.

By 2021, Triview collaborated with engineering firm HR Green to conduct a Higby Road Study, which assessed projected traffic volumes and recommended necessary improvements to mitigate anticipated impacts. Recognizing the urgency, Triview entered into an Improvements Financing Agreement with Creekside Developers Inc. in June 2021.

Creekside committed $2.26 million to fund the design and initial construction phases, establishing an escrow account to manage the funds.

The following year, Triview engaged Kimley-Horn to develop detailed construction plans based on the study’s recommendations. By 2024, final designs were completed, utilizing approximately $1 million from the existing escrow account.

The plan includes widening Higby Road to incorporate turn lanes and medians, enhancing the traffic signal at the intersection with Jackson Creek Parkway, and constructing the two roundabouts—one providing full access to Lewis-Palmer High School and another at the Bowstring Road intersection.

The improvement project’s proposed funding strategy involves issuing general obligation bonds, to be repaid through developer payments, a portion of the district’s operations and maintenance mill levy, sales tax revenue, and builder contributions from road and bridge fees collected during construction. It’s the multiple financing channels which will help fund the project without raising taxes, McGrady said.

“The more revenue streams you can bring to bear, the lower your interest rates are going to be,” he said.

The project would also be divided into two phases to accommodate traffic from Lewis-Palmer High School.

“That portion of road that’s in front of the school has to be constructed very quickly and probably during summer break, and then the rest of the time, you’re going to be spending working on areas to the west at the intersection and also to the east from Bowstring out toward Harness,” McGrady said.