Colorado Department of Transportation addresses concerns over deadly curve in Lakewood
The curve along the West 6th Avenue frontage road near the Sheridan exit is no stranger to crashes, some of them deadly. Now the Colorado Department of Transportation is addressing concerns about this dangerous stretch of road.
Along that stretch, there is an often unanticipated hazard- a sharp and dangerous curve made worse by careless drivers.
"I can't imagine how fast that guy was going to do that damage," John McNurey said.
On Saturday, it claimed yet another victim. The driver according to police reports admitted to drinking and going for a "joy ride" in his work truck before plowing into the metal fence and pushing a massive boulder into the driveway of Offsite Garages.
"Looks like it was a Chevrolet," McNurey said walking the path of destruction.
It is a familiar scene for McNurey, the president of the board that oversees the property.
"It's not out of the question that some member of the public will be out here never mind our owners or the drivers, but somebody is going to get hurt eventually," McNurey said.
In early February, CBS Colorado spoke with the developer Mike Ard after he recorded the sixth crash in that location. That number did not include a crash from 2007 that took the life of Rosa Chavez.
He shared his frustration that adding signs was all that had been done to address the issue
"If CDOT thinks more signs are going to solve stuff like this bring 'em out and attach them to a guardrail," Ard said.
CDOT told us then they would further evaluate the location but that the key issue was driver behavior.
Roughly 30 days later and following two additional crashes CBS Colorado went back to CDOT, a spokesperson telling us additional changes are coming.
In a statement, CDOT said the changes will include a speed radar sign and that they "are working to install a transverse rumble strip using a pavement marking that would not be as loud as a regular rumble strip because houses are close to the roadway. Transverse rumble strips are grooves cut into the pavement that act as a warning device."
For those who have spent years cleaning up the destruction, it's a step they hope will lead to safer days and fewer sleepless nights.
"It's one thing for us to repair the fence and to fix landscaping but eventually somebody is going to get seriously hurt.. and that's my big concern," McNurey said.
CBS Colorado asked CDOT when those changes might be made, we have yet to hear back but will be sure and update this story when they do.
