Aspen decision on re-evaluation kickstarts joint process with Pitkin County

Aspen City Council’s July 7 decision to re-evaluate the 1996 “preferred alternative” to the entrance to Aspen triggered the process for both Pitkin County and the city of Aspen to put in a formal request for the re-evaluation by the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Federal Highways Administration. 

Pitkin County, on May 28, had endorsed a re-evaluation of the preferred alternative. However, no forward progress had been made following that decision because the city of Aspen and Pitkin County both share responsibility for executing any potential changes to the entrance to Aspen. 

“Basically, the city of Aspen and Pitkin county have the same involvement,” said Brian Pettet, director of Public Works at Pitkin County. “Pitkin County signed a Record of Decision with CDOT and FHWA, as did Aspen. The contents of the memoirs are a little different, but basically we, the county, and the city are involved with the Record of Decision in the same way. 

The July 7 Aspen decision brings Pitkin County and the city in line with one another with regards to their position on a re-evaluation. Staff from both municipalities can proceed knowing they are aligned in their request to CDOT and FHWA. 

Ultimately, the decision whether to conduct that re-evaluation lies with the state and federal agencies. However, a formal request from Aspen and Pitkin County will kickstart that process. 

A re-evaluation would determine if the “preferred-alternative” that the 1998 record of decision arrived at is still the best solution 26 years later. That preferred alternative is a rerouting of Colorado Highway 82 across the Marolt Open Space.

According to Pettet, CDOT and FHWA will guide a re-evaluation that is usually conducted by a consultant. 

Pitkin County staff and city of Aspen staff have a joint meeting on Aug. 11 where they will begin to coordinate their requests to the state and federal governing bodies. 

Following the formal request, Pettet noted that there is no projection or expectation of timing that he could make for CDOT and FHWA’s responses.