Agenda Date: 04/07/2026
Subject:
Title
Resolution 19-2026: Authorizing an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Colorado Department of Transportation for maintenance of the infrastructure constructed as part of the Santa Fe Drive & Mineral Avenue Operational Improvements Project
Body
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From: |
James L. Becklenberg, City Manager |
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Prepared by: |
Brent Soderlin, Director of Public Works & Utilities |
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Brent Thompson, Executive Projects Engineer |
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Aaron Heumann, Transportation Engineering Manager |
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Presentations: |
N/A |
PURPOSE:
Approval of an Intergovernmental Agreement between the City of Littleton and the Colorado Department of Transportation for Maintenance of the Infrastructure Constructed as part of the Santa Fe Drive & Mineral Avenue Operational Improvements Project.
LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED:
Safe Community; High-Quality Governance
DISCUSSION:
The Santa Fe Drive and Mineral Avenue intersection is the most congested location in the City of Littleton with vehicles stacking at times for over a mile and delays reaching 15 to 20 minutes of extra travel time. This results in long delays and safety concerns, such as rear-end crashes that are associated with significant congestion. This intersection carries up to 60,000 vehicles per day along S. Santa Fe Drive and 30,000 vehicles per day along W. Mineral Avenue. The purpose of the Santa Fe Drive and Mineral Avenue Operational Improvements Project is to reduce congestion and improve safety at this intersection.
The Santa Fe Drive and Mineral Avenue Operational Improvements Project began construction in November 2025 and is anticipated to be complete in 2027. Improvements constructed with the project will be within the right-of-way of the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and within the right-of-way of the City of Littleton. Both agencies recognize the importance and benefit to their respective transportation systems by the operation and maintenance of infrastructure constructed as part of the project. Infrastructure elements outlined in this agreement include medians, drainage inlets, storm sewer pipes, drainage ditch, traffic signals, overhead sign structure, and pedestrian crossings. The city and CDOT have determined the division of responsibility for their respective maintenance and operations obligations on the project and propose this Intergovernmental Agreement to memorialize these obligations.
BACKGROUND:
The purpose of the Santa Fe Drive & Mineral Avenue Improvements Project is to reduce congestion and improve safety for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Along with improvements to Santa Fe Drive and Mineral Avenue, a new quadrant roadway is being constructed in the southwest parcel of the intersection. The quadrant roadway concept will remove left turning movements from the Santa Fe Drive and Mineral Avenue intersection, redirecting vehicles onto the quadrant roadway to complete the left turn movements. This diversion allows for additional green time to be provided to the through and right turn movements, both north-south along Santa Fe Drive and east-west along Mineral Avenue. This project will provide a new traffic signal along Santa Fe Drive for access to/from the quadrant roadway and revised traffic signals along Mineral Avenue at Santa Fe Drive and Platte River Parkway, along with new lane configurations, traffic signal retiming, and mobility improvements throughout the project extents and to surrounding areas.
Those who have experienced the Santa Fe Drive and Mineral Avenue intersection know that it is one of the most congested intersections in the City of Littleton. This intersection accommodates nearly 60,000 vehicles per day along Santa Fe Drive and 30,000 vehicles per day along Mineral Avenue. If the intersection were to remain in the current configuration, delays will become significantly worse given traffic volumes are projected to grow to 115,000 vehicles per day by the year 2040 due to anticipated future development in the immediate area, as well as to the south in Douglas County and west in Jefferson County. Although the quadrant roadway concept is the first of its kind in the Denver metro area, the quadrant roadway is a proven solution that will accommodate this increase in traffic, minimize delays, and improve safety.
In 2022, the Santa Fe Drive Action Plan: A Planning and Environmental Linkages Study was completed. The recommendations from the Santa Fe Drive Action Plan emphasized the regional importance of the Mineral Avenue and Santa Fe Drive intersection. While a costly and impactful grade-separated interchange was originally envisioned as the long-term solution for this intersection, the improvements brought forth through the Santa Fe Drive and Mineral Avenue Improvements Project are now clearly the regional solution to operational and safety improvements for the foreseeable future until other bottlenecks and sources of congestion along the Santa Fe Drive corridor can be addressed.
Prior Actions or Discussions
The Santa Fe Drive and Mineral Avenue Operational Improvement project has been discussed with City Council many times over the past several years.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
There are no immediate fiscal impacts as part of this IGA. The operation and maintenance required on the infrastructure referenced in this agreement will be incorporated into the Public Works operating budget.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the resolution authorizing the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA).
ALTERNATIVES:
If Council does not approve this Intergovernmental Agreement, the requirement of which is identified in the Local Agency Intergovernmental Agreement, CDOT will not accept the completion of this project on their highway. As a result, the city would be responsible for all maintenance and operations of Santa Fe Drive within the project limits until such time as CDOT acknowledges construction has been completed in accordance with the plans and a maintenance and operations agreement has been established.
PROPOSED MOTION:
Proposed Motion
I move to approve Resolution 19-2026 authorizing an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Colorado Department of Transportation for maintenance of the infrastructure constructed as part of the Santa Fe Drive & Mineral Avenue Operational Improvements Project.