The 16th Street Corridor is a road that has served many types of uses scattered along the Town of Wheatland (Town) boundaries. The Towns proximity to Interstate I-25 and connections to the northbound and southbound off ramps make it a highly used corridor. With property on the west side of 16th Street backing onto I-25, these areas exhibit exceptional visibility which in turned has spurred heavy commercial use. These developments along the corridor have begun to increase the amount of traffic along the roadway. The Town envisions this corridor as a potential area for new growth and wants to assist in sustaining the established business and industry, as well as, and attract new commerce to the area. However, with growth come additional traffic and safety concerns. These concerns can be diminished with well-designed transportation parameters encompassing different aspects of a roadway design. Some of these include speed limits, speed reduction devices, access control, road width, turning lanes, providing locations for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. In areas
where land is already been developed or established these new guidelines will not always be able to be
incorporated, but should be used when redevelopment or new site development on vacant parcels are
contemplated. The 16th Street Corridor is a vital connection in the Town and needs to be an inviting place for locals and the traveling public to reach commercial destinations.
The boundaries of the 16th Street Corridor Study Swanson Road and South Street (north to south) and I-25 and 15th Street (West and East) which is illustrated in more detail in Figure 1.1 Project Area and Vicinity Map. After discussions with the steering committee and input from the general public, the primary purpose of the project was to create a comprehensive and practical planning document that guides and promotes future development of the corridor and surrounding area which:
- Is sensitive to the needs of the property owners
- Promotes safety
- Minimizes long term maintenance
- Serves all transportation users
- Encourages economic development
The specific goals of this document are the following:
- Develop a priority list of future roadway and infrastructure improvement projects.
- Assist in securing additional funding for future construction projects.
The project was reviewed with oversight by a steering committee comprised of the following agencies or
representative organizations:
- Platte County Economic Development Association
- Town of Wheatland
- Platte County
- Platte County School District #1
- 16th Street Property Owners
The Steering Committee assisted in the development of the study from inception to completion. Their principal role was to provide advice, input, guidance, and recommendations.