Roads generally serve two purposes – 1) mobility for people and freight and 2) access to adjoining properties. The purpose of the County Road 74 Access Control Plan (ACP) is to maintain and enhance safety and mobility while also providing reasonable access to adjoining properties as growth and development occur over time. Safety is the main reason for managing access on the corridor. To see the full plan and more details please visit: https://www.weldgov.com/departments/public_works/access_control_plans/w_c_r_74
Goals of the Access Control Plan
- Provide safe, effective, and efficient access to County Road 74.
- Maintain the functional integrity of the corridor by reducing traffic conflicts and improving traffic flow.
- Promote economic vitality along the corridor by promoting the efficient movement of goods and people.
- Protect infrastructure investments along the corridor.
- Coordinate development, improvements, access, design standards, and other issues among jurisdictions.
- Develop a plan that preserves the safety of the corridor by eliminating, relocating, consolidating, or reconfiguring unsafe accesses.
- Limit direct access to the corridor by locating accesses on local and collector roadways where feasible.
- Clarify policies for access and ensure that private property is entitled to reasonable access to the corridor.
- Identify where future traffic signals/roundabouts may be located.
- Provide a plan that can be implemented in phases as funding allows.
- Coordinate community project priorities along the corridor.
- Support development of alternative modes of transportation and improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists who use the corridor.
Access Control Strategies
The following access control techniques are applied to existing locations to refine and ultimately reduce the number of access points on County Road 74 as future development occurs:
- Elimination – Access points may be removed at unsafe locations, where there are more than two existing access points for a parcel, or where spacing requirements are not met.
- Relocation – Access points may be relocated to meet spacing requirements or align with other access points.
- Consolidation / Shared Access – Access points in close proximity may be consolidated into a single location and/or shared between adjoining developments. This often requires cooperation between neighboring property owners.
- Movement Conversion / Reconfiguration – Allowable vehicular movements at some existing access points may be reduced to meet safety and mobility objectives. One example might be a location with full access into and out of a driveway that is reduced to a right-in, right-out configuration.
Access Types
- Agricultural/Field/Ditch Access –These support farm and ranch operations and are generally used seasonally during planting and harvesting seasons.
- Residential Access - These are typically driveways to residences and multifamily developments.
- Commercial Access - These access locations serve businesses, schools, government buildings, and utilities such as electric substations.
- Oil & Gas/Industrial Access - Oil and gas facilities, including wells, tanks, valve sites, etc., and industrial buildings are served by this access type.
- Multiple Use Access - Shared access occur where two properties or uses utilize the same access.
- Future Access - Existing parcels with no frontage on a side road and no existing access on CR 74 are considered landlocked and will be allowed access in the future as appropriate and consistent with the ACP. This access type also includes locations that have been previously approved but not yet constructed.