For quick insight into what has become a major matter of acrimony relevant to would-be Denver construction projects, one need look no further than at some representative comments flowing back and forth.
One critic of projects aimed at building a new stretch of roadway on I-70 and the construction of a large drainage ditch, respectively, in a north area of Denver described as being comparatively “economically depressed” says that the planning surrounding those projected endeavors is baffling.
Construction options favored by the Colorado Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration are collectively “a mystery” in the communities that would be most immediately affected by them, she says, and both baffle and dismay local residents.
Clearly, construction proponents are chafing under that and additional criticisms alleging that the proposed projects haven’t been sufficiently considered or planned to account for environmental hazards and the adverse health impact they will assuredly have on several communities.
In responding to a recently filed federal lawsuit that challenges the construction projects and seeks to put them on hold pending a more thorough assessment of their environmental effects, a principal with CDOT counters that regulators conducted a “thorough technical analysis.”
Moreover, he contends, they considered scores of alternatives and, prior to deciding on the current initiatives, reached out to affected communities in an “unprecedented” way.
The lawsuit now staring them in the face would seem to undercut that assertion. If the temporary stay sought by the plaintiffs is granted, the projects could be delayed for some time, pending a more expanded analysis of environmental and other factors.
