16th Street Enhancement Project

We are moving to a weekly update to keep you informed of project progress. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to enhance safety, walkability, and long-term infrastructure along this important corridor.

Work Completed & In Progress

• Traffic signals have been removed or bagged. Intersections are now all-way stops to ensure traffic and pedestrian safety.
• Sidewalk and curb/gutter removal and replacement is in progress on the north side of 16^th Street. Side walk prep and concrete pours are underway.
• Concrete road pours are happening between 10^th and 11^th Avenues.

Upcoming Work

• Sidewalk work on the north side of 16^th Street will continue.
• Tree removal, including trees within the UNC campus, is scheduled to begin this week. Please see below for more information.

Project Timeline

• The north side of 16^th Street is on track for completion by the end of August 2025.
• Construction will then shift to the south side of the street, with work wrapping up in Fall 2025.
• Final landscaping and public art installations will occur in Spring 2026, once weather and planting conditions allow.

Tree Removal

Starting this week, 23 trees are being removed along the 16^th Street corridor on both sides of the road. The tree in front of Margie's will remain in place. This work is necessary to allow for sidewalk widening and infrastructure upgrades that support safer travel for pedestrians and cyclists — especially important in such an urban corridor between campus and downtown.

While this change may feel difficult, it is part of a thoughtfully planned project that balances safety, accessibility and long-term aesthetics. The good news is that the area will not remain bare. In Spring 2026, the area will be replanted with a mix of new trees, ornamental grasses and colorful perennials. There will be a total of 43 trees planted along the 16^th Street corridor, compared to the 23 trees that we are removing along the roadway. These enhancements are designed to enrich the area — creating a welcoming, walkable environment. Additionally, the removed trees along the UNC side will be repurposed into mulch and returned to UNC for use in campus garden beds and landscaped areas, supporting sustainability and ongoing campus care.

As we move into the heart of summer, our construction efforts continue to gain momentum on 16th Street. Here's a snapshot of the work that has transpired and what's ahead:

Ongoing and Completed Tasks

The westbound closure of 16th Street is now underway.

Our team has been diligently working on the sidewalk and curb and gutter demolition on the northern side of 16th Street, progressing from 8th Avenue towards 11th Avenue. Sidewalk removal will start on July 14 at 7 a.m. with two crews working to complete the work. As sidewalks are removed, a crushed base will be placed and compacted. This compact base will be safe to walk on.

Additionally, we've successfully poured concrete pavement between 9th and 10th Avenue, a critical step forward. The team was proud to reopen 10th Avenue on July 4th, just in time for the Independence Day Parade, a feat that brought festive spirit and celebration as we honored the holiday.

Upcoming Work

Looking ahead, the demolition of sidewalk, curb and gutter will continue its westward journey along the northern half of 16th Street. Our focus will then shift to pouring fresh concrete for the new curbs, gutters, and sidewalks, followed by concrete paving.

On Wednesday, July 16, the team will begin to remove traffic lights. Temporary 4-way stop signs will be put in place to maintain pedestrian and driver safety.

The overall project is now 10% complete. This milestone is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, and we are eager to keep pushing forward towards our ultimate goal: a beautiful and safe transit corridor along 16th Street.

16th Street Traffic and Parking Impacts (Summer 2025)

Beginning May 28, there will be changes to traffic and parking along the 16th Street corridor to last through the end of August. Here's what you can expect in the area:

• All westbound traffic lanes between 8th and 11th Avenues will close. Vehicles can travel one way: eastbound only.
• All southbound traffic coming from 9th and 10th Avenues will detour at 15th Avenue. Traffic heading north on 9th and 10th will be right turn/eastbound only.
• Prepare for limited parking. There is no parking along the north side of 16th Street between 8th and 11th Avenues. There will also be minor parking impacts on 9th and 10th Avenues, north of 16th Street.

Remember: Business access remains open! Want to avoid the driving and parking hassle while you're in the area? We recommend parking outside the construction area and either walking or renting a Spin ebike/escooter to get you where you need to go for the final portion of your trip.

Big news! Phase one of the 16th Street Enhancement project — below-ground utility construction — is complete. This is an exciting milestone and marks the beginning of phase two, which will include above-ground improvements to parking, sidewalks, and roadways along the corridor.

On February 18, we held a virtual community meeting to discuss what was completed during phase one, when phase two is expected to launch, and what residents can expect in the interim.

It's all hands on deck for the 16th Street Enhancement project!

Over the course of the next year, the City of Greeley will upgrade the infrastructure in the area to refresh utility lines, improve traffic safety, add more parking, and create a more pedestrian-friendly environment for residents and visitors. Of course, to make this vision a reality, there will be construction impacts for our community members who live, work and play in the area.

To kick off road work, city staff from Public Works, Water & Sewer, Economic Development & Urban Revitalization; as well as our construction partners and the Downtown Development Authority met with dozens of businesses to ensure everyone knows what to expect in the coming months. Thank you to John Galt Coffee for hosting us, and to multiple restaurants along 16th Street for catering and attending! It was lovely to connect with folks from Autotailer, Margie's Java Joint, Madison & Main, D.P Dough, High Brau Taphouse, La Fiesta Express, and more.

We're grateful to all our community members who are invested in the outcome of this major project — and we can't wait to enjoy the improved 16th Street together when the work is done!

The 16th Street Enhancement Project kicks off construction on November 18!

Underground utility replacement work and canal crossings will run through March 2025. After, we'll begin the transportation work and aesthetic upgrades, which are expected to last into summer.

Representatives from the City of Greeley, Connell Resources (Contractor), Ditesco (Construction Management), and Felsburg Holt & Ullevig, FHU (Engineering) will be at John Galt Coffee, 709 16th Street, from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, November 14, to review the project timeline, traffic management plans, detour routes, and access accommodations. The city, its contractors and consulting engineers will make themselves available to answer community questions and discuss specific concerns during this pre-construction meeting.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for important detour information during utilities work.

The City of Greeley issued a bid proposal on September 5, 2024, for underground utility work related to the 16th Street Enhancement Project. Upcoming construction work will focus on water and sewer improvements including replacement of lead pipe and meters. This utility project is an important next step and will contribute to the success of the project, which aims to slow traffic, improve safety and parking, make a pedestrian-friendly community space, create connection between UNC and downtown and improve the corridor’s look.

NEXT STEPS:

• Contractor bid proposals are due September 26, 2024.
• Once a contract is awarded, further details will be provided on the schedule of planned work.
• The project team plans to engage with business and property owners in early October. Stay tuned for more information.

The 16th Street Enhancement Project final design has been underway since 2023 with a planned construction start in 2024. At this time, we have made the difficult decision to shift the construction start to 2025. We apologize for this adjustment in the construction schedule.

We have been working to locate all of the underground utilities along the entire corridor to account for any necessary realignment or replacement of outdated utilities. Unfortunately, we do not have accurate data on the location of the utilities and will need approximately four more months to identify exactly where they are located and what improvements may be needed. The additional time is necessary to remove uncertainty before the construction phase of our work begins and to deliver an expedited schedule.

This will ultimately help to minimize disruption to our local businesses and residents along the corridor.

The tentative plan moving forward will be to separate the construction into two separate contracts:

1. Underground utility construction – estimated completion by the end of 2024
2. Remaining surface reconstruction of 16th Street – estimated completion Summer 2025

Once the city finalizes these plans, we will host another public meeting to review the planned construction schedules and gather input from businesses and residents along the corridor.

On February 20, 2023, we hosted the Business and Property Owner Meeting.

Please click on summary to see the report.