Jefferson Moves the Right Way with Infrastructure
Published Apr 16, 2007
Burlington Northern Santa Fe is one of two major railroads that move freight through Jeffco. The other is Union Pacific.
Just as Jefferson County is known as the “Gateway to the Rocky Mountains,” its transportation structure is considered a gateway to the region’s economic well-being.
That’s how Preston Gibson, president and chief executive officer of the Jefferson Economic Council, assesses the importance of transportation here.
“Having a first-class, well-functioning transportation system is one of the critical needs to support economic development,” Gibson says. “It’s one of our top priorities in Jefferson County from the standpoint of JEC.”
With the exception of water, all facets of transportation are viable in Jefferson County: highways, air, rail and mass transit. To keep abreast of how these various modes affect the area’s economy, JEC instituted a transportation committee a few years ago.
“The purpose is to keep all of our public and private members updated on all the various transportation issues that are occurring in the region and locally,” says Jeff Keller, president of Asphalt Paving Co., who heads the committee. “We also keep updated on any legislation that might affect transportation, such as any funding issues.”
More than 450 miles of highways pass through Jefferson County. Interstate 70 is a major route that moves cargo as well as travelers heading, say, to Vail or Copper Mountain. U.S. 6 and 285 also provide east-west access, while Colorado Highway 93 and C-470 are heavily used for north-south travel.
Rail freight moves through Jeffco, as well, via the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific lines in the northern and central parts of the county.
PLANNING FOR GROWTH, NOW AND IN FUTURE
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport continues to expand in the northern part of the county, and there is easy access to Denver International Airport east of the city. The nation’s fifth-busiest airport, DIA set a record for passenger traffic in 2006 with nearly 44 million passengers. It not only provides multiple national and international flights, but it also plays a big role in economic development.
According to a study conducted in 2003 by the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Division of Aeronautics, the economic impact from DIA was about $16.7 billion in 2002. “Airports are huge economic engines, not only for the city they’re in but for the surrounding counties and even for the state,” says Chuck Cannon, DIA’s director of public affairs.
In addition to the growth of Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport and the impact that can have on the economic health of Jefferson County, future developments surrounding transportation include a new C-470 interchange at Alameda and the addition of light-rail lines that are part of Denver’s FasTracks plan. The Alameda interchange will help spur development in the Rooney Valley. (See story, page 22.)
Story by John McBryde
Photo by Antony Boshier
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