OUR MESA COUNTY.
CONNECTED.
Mesa County is building a great economy and place to live.
But that means traffic is piling up.
How can we tackle traffic congestion, improve emergency response times, and make our streets safer?
Step by step, we've been building a loop around the Grand Valley's heart. Past investments in the Riverside Parkway, 24 Road interchange, and 29 Road bridge now help our families and businesses get where we need to go.
Now, it's time to finish the loop,
connecting the final piece: 29 Road and I-70.
Measure 1A tackles our traffic problems:
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Connecting 29 Road to I-70
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Constructing an interchange with I-70
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Widening 29 Road to four lanes from Patterson to the interstate
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Creating new pedestrian, bike, and multimodal transportation options in the area
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Setting the ground for a great new business improvement district in the area, with outdoor sports and new places to go surrounding the GJ Community Center at Matchett Park
All without raising your taxes, using existing county and city bonding authority to get the job done.
SUPPORT
WHY 29 ROAD?
AND WHY NOW?
Since the 1970s, local studies have urged us to connect 29 Road with I-70.
From 2018 to 2020, Mesa County and the City of Grand Junction conducted a joint Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study to assess transportation options, identifying a 29 road interchange as the leading option to reduce traffic and improve road safety. In 2021, local elected officials approved a Memorandum of Understanding that includes a 50/50 cost share between Mesa County and the City of Grand Junction.
Recent bi-partisan Congressional legislation is making generational investments in American infrastructure, and funds are available to cities that demonstrate commitment.
To become eligible for federal and state transportation funding, our community must demonstrate our willingness to fund this project.
Mesa County Commissioners and City of Grand Junction Councilmembers have approved Measure 1A, giving voters the chance to approve the needed bonding authority.
And this doesn't raise my taxes?
Counties and cities issue bonds to fund big projects.
By passing Measure 1A, voters are authorizing Mesa County and the City of GJ to issue up to $80M of bonds to fund this project. Principal and interest on these bonds is paid by existing revenues and existing capital expenditure funds and doesn't require any new taxes.
Should we prioritize 29 Road now?
The U.S. Federal Reserve has begun a cycle of interest rate cuts, ending years of high lending rates and making projects like 29 Road less expensive. Construction costs, however, will only keep going up - forecast to be millions more per year of delay. Current federal and state funds for transportation are being spent down and won't be available for much longer. Together, these factors make 2024 a great time to tackle this decades-old dream for the Grand Valley.
29 Road Presentation
Maps, Details, and More!
Don't see a presentation below? Click here.
