Historic Communities in the I-70 / Clear Creek Expansion Corridor
Year Listed: 2005
County: Clear Creek County
Status: ALERT
Context: Community
Date Constructed: Varies
Significance:
Numerous communities abutting, sometimes straddling I-70 in the Clear Creek Valley from Idaho Springs to Graymont attest to the 19th and early 20th century history of mineral, milling, timber and railroad industries in Colorado. Idaho Springs has been designated a National Register District and Georgetown/Silver Plume is a National Historic Landmark District. Hundreds of other structures and sites in the area are believed eligible for the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
Threat When Listed:
Highway expansion
CBS4's Report: Historic Communities in the I-70 / Clear Creek Expansion Corridor
Since Listing:
The Coalition of Clear Creek Communities, consisting of citizens and leadership in Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Silver Plume, and others, want the State of Colorado to take a serious look at the negative impact of proposed widening of I-70 will have on adjacent communities. A solution is needed that will enhance, not detract, from features people travel to see. In May 2005, public comments in this regard were submitted to the Federal Highway Administration and Colorado Department of Transportation in response to a draft Programatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) and are now under review for a final alternative and Record of Decision. This will finalize the PEIS and pave the way for Tier 2 activity on the project. A consultant has been hired for the Section 106 process, and has met with consulting parties, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Colorado Preservation, Inc., to begin looking at historic resources in the area, as well as potential effects and mitigation. This process will become more detailed during Tier 2 planning for the road project. FHWA and CDOT have agreed to apply the Context Sensitive Solutions method to this project and held a workshop for stakeholders in January 2006.
Last Updated:
January 2006