Weld County Road (WCR) 76, which serves as the truck route for the town of Eaton, is set to be improved in the coming months. Monday, the Weld County Board of Commissioners approved a three-month closure of the road between WCR 33 and Highway 85 to allow for it to be rebuilt. As part of the project, WCR 35 between the Eaton Recreation Center on 3rd St. and WCR 78 will also be closed while work is done to improve the intersection at WCR 76 and WCR 35. The project closure will begin April 1 and last through June 28, 2024. Detours can be viewed on the Weld County Road Advisory Map.
The improvement project will fulfill an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) entered into by both Weld County and Eaton in May 2022 to establish a truck route outside the town of Eaton’s jurisdiction and for its future improvement. Although the truck route exists, its improvement will begin in April. Per the IGA, the overall project cost is $783,430 with Eaton contributing $125,000.
“Our transportation infrastructure is a critical element of the services we provide, as it is essential for helping move people, goods and services throughout our county. Eaton’s truck route is just one example,” said Kevin Ross, Weld County Commissioner Chair. “We’re excited to complete this project, which we believe is mutually beneficial for both Eaton and the traveling public as a whole.”
The road rebuild will be completed by the Weld County Department of Public Works and focus on strengthening its structure. Work will be done to remove existing asphalt, apply a cement treated base and aggregate base course along with new asphalt to the driving surface. These improvements will be delivered through full-depth reclamation (FDR), a process that allows crews to rebuild portions of the road using existing asphalt, assuming it's in good condition. FDR has been used by Public Works on many recent projects, including a five-mile rebuild of WCR 77 north of Briggsdale, which was completed in November of 2023.
In addition to roadwork, crews will also deliver several improvements to the intersection at WCR 76 and WCR 35. The intersection has seen its use steadily increase as an approximate 3,170 vehicles pass through it daily, according to Public Works. Improvements include a new driving surface and larger aprons, which will make it easier for trucks to make right-hand turns and stay on the pavement.
Early work on the intersection — mainly several utility relocations and the installation of guardrails — began in January and wrapped up in March in preparation for the improvements.
“The improvements planned for this intersection is one of our Capital Improvement Projects this year, and we’re eager to deliver them while we work on county road 76,” said Curtis Hall, Director of the Weld County Department of Public Works.