Colorado Transportation Funding

Highway 287 South of Lamar

On Thursday, November 21 2019, the Colorado Transportation Commission approved three Ports-to-Plains corridor projects on U.S. 40/287, between the Oklahoma/Colorado border and Limon, totaling $27.5 million. This amount is in addition to the over $28 million in NHFP, INFRA and FASTER and SAFETY Funds committed to the corridor earlier this year.

National Highway Freight Program Funding (NHFP)

The Continuation of U.S.40/287 Passing Lanes project was awarded $4.5 million to CDOT Region 4 from the FY2019-2020 NHFP. The passing lanes project will be in addition to $4.5 million in FY2018 NHFP funding for Region 4.

In the description of the projects provided to the Transportation Commission, it stated, “This project will strategically add new passing lanes or extend existing passing lanes at critical locations – MP 386 (US 40), 123 (US 287) to MP 446 (US 40), 133 (US 287).” Further the description stated, “It is the goal of the region to provide a minimum of 8 miles of passing lanes for every 20 mile stretch along our freight corridors” and “This is the first step in fulfilling the Ports-to-Plains Corridor Development and Management Plan which recommended that this corridor be expanded to a 4-lane cross section.”

This Region 4 funding is also in addition to the $8.297 million INFRA Grant for Improving Safety and Freight Efficiency Along Southeastern Colorado’s Ports-to-Plains Corridor (US 287 Passing Lanes Project) that was approved in July 2019. The INFRA grant, along with $4.5 million in NHFP, and $11 million Faster and Safety funds, will add 12 miles of passing lanes to the Ports-to-Plains corridor in Region 2.