New Intersection Configuration Promises To Help Ease Congestion In Arapahoe County

Press release from the Arapahoe County Government:

June 22, 2021

Hundreds of workdays and thousands of work hours culminated on Tuesday, June 22, with the opening of the new partial continuous flow intersection (PCFI) at Quincy Avenue and Gun Club Road.

Crews worked from Monday night and into early Tuesday morning to complete a traffic signal switch to open the intersection with the new configuration, which is designed to ease congestion and increase traffic flow through the intersection. The $12 million project is funded by Arapahoe County, City of Aurora and federal highway money.

“Drivers in this area should notice decreased congestion and improved travel times,” Arapahoe County Commissioner Jeff Baker said. “Innovative solutions like this intersection layout help us manage ongoing growth in that part of the County and sustain the quality of life we all enjoy.”

Aurora officials also are excited about the new intersection for its citizens.

“This new partial continuous flow intersection is going to be so beneficial for the residents of Aurora who travel in and out of far southeast Aurora every day,” Aurora Mayor Pro Tem Françoise Bergan said. “We appreciate the partnership with Arapahoe County and federal funds to make this improvement on this corridor.”

With the completion of the traffic signal switch, motorists traveling north and south on Gun Club Road who want to turn left on Quincy Avenue will be directed to stay left and utilize new left turn crossover lanes. The PCFI design was selected for its efficiency in reducing delays and travel times for busy intersections like this one. These intersections are primarily different in the turn lane crossover layouts.

The new left turn crossover lanes were constructed for both northbound and southbound Gun Club Road. Drivers will enter the left turn lane approximately 1,000 feet before reaching the intersection. Separating the left turn lane reduces wait times and allows more drivers going straight and left to pass through the intersection during each green light. Similarly, bypass right turn lanes were added in all directions, allowing drivers to merge with flowing traffic without stopping at a light.

The project also includes new E-470 on and off ramps. All these improvements are intended to carry much heavier traffic volumes through this entire area, which is close to E-470, Aurora Reservoir and the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds.

The new intersection is the culmination of years of planning and collaboration between Arapahoe County and the City of Aurora. “I am very proud of all great work the Public Works and Development staff put into making this project a big success,” Arapahoe County Transportation Division Manager James Katzer said. “Please visit the project's website to become familiar with the operations of the intersection, and drive safely when you use the intersection.”

Work on this project started in late-2019 and the final phase started this past April. Additional information on the project, including how to drive through the intersection, can be found at www.arapahoegov.com/QuincyGunClub

This press release was produced by the Arapahoe County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.