FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

Dating back to the late 1960s, Congress authorized the first studies for a highway system to encircle metro Denver, providing improved regional and long-haul connections between I-25 and I-70. Since then, roadways such as C-470, E-470 and Northwest Parkway have been built to support this vision.

In 2008, CDOT released the Transportation and Environmental Planning Study (TEPS) with 73 different alternatives evaluated to connect the Northwest Parkway in Broomfield to the C-470 terminus in Golden. The study’s preferred alternative is a combination of projects including 10-miles of improvements to existing roads such as SH 93/US 6 and Interlocken Boulevard, and approximately 10-miles of new construction. In the absence of federal or state funds to build the roadway, the Jefferson Parkway Public Highway Authority (JPPHA) was created in 2008 with the mission to finish the 10-miles of new construction to be the Jefferson Parkway. With this in mind, the alignment of the Jefferson Parkway has been set for more than a decade. Residential communities and retail developments like Leyden Rock, Candelas and the Candelas Marketplace have all been built around the Jefferson Parkway alignment and the dedicated right of way.

After years of evaluation and collaboration, Jefferson County, the City of Arvada and the City and County of Broomfield share a collective vision and are dedicated to the completion of the Jefferson Parkway. 

No, the Jefferson Parkway Public Highway Authority owns the right of way needed for the tollway.

During a time when CDOT is facing extreme funding challenges, the Jefferson Parkway will bring $250 million in new infrastructure to the region through private funding while maintaining public ownership over the tollway. This approach means that Jefferson County, the City of Arvada, and the City and County of Broomfield are providing the start-up funds needed to initiate permitting prior to construction. The selected concessionaire will pay back each jurisdiction their investment, plus interest, once the Parkway is operating.

Public safety is the number one priority for the Jefferson Parkway. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) all have declared that the proposed alignment of the Jefferson Parkway near the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge is safe for unlimited uses.

The Jefferson Parkway Public Highway Authority understands the neighboring community’s concerns about safety. The Jefferson Parkway Public Highway Authority is committed to working with the EPA, DOE, and CDPHE to ensure that monitoring during construction of the area meets all state and federal compliance standards. The selected concessionaire will be required to adhere to all protocols regarding environmental compliance, air quality, dust mitigation and stormwater management set forth by the regulatory agencies.

The Authority is creating more stringent standards which the concessionaire’s construction team must follow that go beyond government and agency requirements. In addition to these requirements the JPPHA is also establishing baseline conditions by resampling soils in advance of construction to ensure and validate previous studies that the right of way adjacent to the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge is safe for unlimited use.

Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in 2020 with estimated completion in 2022.

The Parkway will ease growing traffic congestion on arterial streets like Indiana, Wadsworth Boulevard, SH 93 and more. Commuters, vehicles destined for the mountains, and other regional travelers will now have the option to use the Parkway instead of roadways which serve the surrounding community. The ultimate design for how the Parkway connects to these streets will be identified through the procurement process.

The development of the Parkway presents opportunities to:

• Construct and enhance multi-use trails and pedestrian connectivity to link neighborhoods and communities along the roadway.
• Generate $1.2 billion in economic activity in Jefferson County alone over the next 20 years according to a 2017 study.
• Ease growing traffic congestion on arterial streets like Indiana, Wadsworth Boulevard, SH 93 and more.

Ownership of the Jefferson Parkway will always reside with the Jefferson Parkway Public Highway Authority. The selected concessionaire will be responsible for operations and maintenance.

The Jefferson Parkway Advisory Committee (JPAC), a group composed of area community stakeholders, provided feedback on community priorities and preferences that informed the project’s Request for Proposals (RFP), which potential concessionaires will use to develop their proposals. A Local Working Group will be created similar to the JPAC that will serve as a focus group during the procurement process.

Three internationally-recognized concessionaire teams have been selected to respond to the RFP following significant industry interest in the project. The concessionaire will be selected in early 2020.

The final design for the Parkway will be developed by integrating the best ideas from RFP respondents and conversations with the community.

The latest updates will be posted to the project website, www.jppha.org.

You can also call the project hotline, 303-223-6580, or email the project team at info@jppha.org.