The Johnstown Town Council approved an intergovernmental agreement Monday night committing the town to a $137,500 share of the review process for future improvements at U.S. Highway 34 and Weld County Road 17.
The motion passed 5-0, with Mayor Michael Duncan, Mayor Pro Tem Chad Young, and councilmembers Dianne Morris, Dee Anne Menzies and Nick Bashford voting in favor. Councilmembers Jesse Molinar Jr. and Damien Berg were absent.
The agreement, included in the June 15 Johnstown Town Council agenda materials, involves Weld County, the Town of Johnstown, the City of Greeley and the Town of Windsor. According to the town’s agenda communication, the parties are cooperating on the design and review process for the U.S. 34 and WCR 17 interchange.
The total cost for the 1601 review process, including design work and review and approval by the Colorado Department of Transportation, is listed at $2,121,157. The cost includes $950,785 for engineering services related to the 131st Avenue bridge and mobility hub, $925,372 for engineering services related to the U.S. 34/WCR 17 intersection improvements, and a $245,000 deposit to CDOT.
Under the approved cost-sharing agreement, Johnstown and Windsor are each responsible for $137,500. Greeley is responsible for $646,157, while Weld County will cover the remaining $1.2 million.
Town staff recommended approval of the agreement. The agenda communication states that the town would commit $137,500 to the project, subject to council approval.
For Johnstown residents, the agreement is significant because WCR 17 and U.S. 34 are part of a growing regional corridor used by drivers traveling between Johnstown, Greeley, Windsor and surrounding Weld County communities.
The project is part of a broader regional transportation effort along the U.S. 34 corridor. The intergovernmental agreement describes the project as including future highway interchange improvements at U.S. 34 and WCR 17, a bridge over U.S. 34 at 131st Avenue in Greeley, and an at-grade mobility hub on U.S. 34.
The agreement says the improvements are intended to support proposed new developments in Greeley that are anticipated to open in 2028. It also says the project is expected to improve traffic safety, reduce future traffic burden, improve access on U.S. 34 and local road networks, and enhance transit and multimodal options along the corridor.
One notable part of the agreement is that the 1601 review process treats the interchange, 131st Avenue bridge and mobility hub as connected pieces. The agreement states that a permit will not be approved under the 1601 process unless all three key elements are considered together.
A separate scope of work for the U.S. 34/WCR 17 intersection improvements says the City of Greeley is planning to improve the existing at-grade, signal-controlled intersection into a grade-separated interchange. The project limits extend about 3,000 feet east and west of the WCR 17 intersection along U.S. 34, and about 2,000 feet north and 3,500 feet south along WCR 17.
The scope of work also states that the project is being designed with the intent to maintain traffic along U.S. 34 during construction, with construction intended to be complete by the third quarter of 2028.
The approved agreement is not a final construction approval. Instead, it is tied to the review, design and approval process needed before the larger interchange project can move forward.
Council approved the agreement as presented.
Sources: Johnstown Town Council agenda materials, Town of Johnstown Agendas and Minutes, Colorado Department of Transportation, CDOT Access Permits.
