Midland Streetscape Project Update July 25, 2023

Reimagining the Past for a Vibrant Future

Phase 1

Midland Spur Update

First, the Town of Basalt Council, staff, and the entire Midland Streetscape project team want to thank the entire community for your patience and resilience during this project.  Everyone really appreciates how nimble you have been with changes to the Sunday market, the temporary loss of parking on Midland Spur, and the normal construction disturbances that are going on with the first phase of the Midland Streetscape project work.  

We are especially grateful to the neighbors, both residents and businesses, who have been so patient and gracious during this phase of construction which represents +35% of the entire Midland Streetscape project.  Thank you.

New Crosswalk leading to Basalt Planning Office

Phase 1 Status

The biggest challenge for a project of this magnitude is that it is in a historic district that has seen few infrastructure improvements in the modern era.  Compared to a City like Denver, where infrastructure is routinely surveyed, updated, and improved, Basalt has limited historical survey data about the precise location of underground utility infrastructure or other underground conditions.  While the Town of Basalt did complete a comprehensive survey of all the existing subgrade utilities prior to the project start, it is inevitable that excavation work will unveil discoveries that need to be addressed, like buried railroad lines, natural hazards like boulders, rogue building connections, or historic abandoned utility lines.  

The greatest risk to this historic project’s timeline and workflow occurs when irregularities are discovered underground.  Instances such as these have happened on Midland Spur, causing some delays in the project.  For instance, a few weeks ago our contractor found some unexpected conditions in the current watermain that offered two choices to proceed.  One option was to disrupt water services along the entire northside of Midland Avenue. The second options was to order specialized valve parts to maintain water services which had a two-week delivery date.  The team opted to avoid shutting down water service for extended periods of time to homes and businesses; however, that meant that the project got delayed by two weeks.  One benefit to this solution is that the newly installed water infrastructure now offers more resiliency to the waterline and if breaks occur in the future, the break can be isolated thereby avoiding an entire shutdown for all of Midland Avenue when an emergency occurs.  This two-week delay has become an opportunity for the Town to enhance hazard planning in our infrastructure system.

Behind the scenes our team is making decisions every day with the community’s benefit in mind.  The choices are not always easy, but the goal is to create as few disruptions as possible to businesses and residents.  It’s never fun to choose between delays or basic service delivery, but if you’ve ever done your own home improvement project, you may know the experience of weighing decisions and being as thoughtful as possible in the face of unexpected conditions.

We now anticipate a completion date for the

Midland Spur in mid-August.  

Again, thank you for your patience.

Midland Spur Benefits

• 35 more parking spaces than before construction – approximately 96 compared to formerly 61 spaces
• Redundancy in waterline for fewer disruptions in emergencies
• Greater capacity in the waterline for fire suppression for buildings into the future
• Connection of the new stormwater system to the existing storm system which provides water quality treatment
• Additional and improved crosswalks
• Snow storage areas that drain to the stormwater system
• One-way travel to slow and better control traffic off Midland Avenue, and onto Two River Road
• Additional EV charging station
• Additional bike racks
• Additional WE-cycle stations
• Improved and inviting outdoor lighting
• Wider sidewalks that provided ADA access
• More resilient infrastructure
• Electric conduit for additional future EV charging stations
• Updated landscaping

Phase 2

Phase 2 is expected to begin in mid-August and the scope of work will be limited to only the waterline and water services through the fall.  We will send another email as we get closer to starting that work that includes more details.  

The big picture outlook is that the work will proceed section by section up the southside of Midland Avenue from the intersection with Midland Spur to Homestead Drive. The contractor will work to consolidate their impact as much as possible.  If there is no work being immediately done in front of a residence or business, the area will remain free of equipment.

General information:

• The installation of the watermain will consist of a single deep utility trench during the summer months, and then transition to the service connections in the fall season
• The waterline will be installed as a continuation of Phase 1 (near Alpine Bank) and run up Midland Avenue to the intersection with Homestead Drive
• Parking along the north side of Midland Avenue will be intermittently available only if the work scope allows
• One lane of controlled traffic will be accessible during the day, and two lanes of traffic will be accessible at night
• Deliveries and trash pick-up will still be accommodated, and the center delivery lane will be maintained where work is not immediately occurring
• The work will be done in sections moving up Midland Avenue 
• Temporary asphalt will be installed in the fall until work resumes in 2024
• The construction will resume in later winter/early spring 2024 and run through 2024 

Photo shows waterline installation on Midland Spur

New Waterline

The purpose of a new waterline is to replace the aging current waterline before the Town invests in the street level improvements, and to increase water capacity over what is currently available in the existing main waterline. 

One of the benefits of increasing capacity is that in the future when all buildings have sprinkler systems for fire suppression, there will be enough capacity in the water main to serve that need. Also, the addition of new valving along the main line allows for maintenance and servicing of the waterline and service connections to individual properties to be completed and managed in a way that will not require large, impactful shutoffs to the downtown residents and businesses. Only small sections of the system will be required to be shut down when needed, or in times of emergency. 

Fact or Fiction?

Get the Truth about the Midland Streetscape

There’s no need for wider sidewalks.

Fiction! 

The existing grades and narrow sidewalks are just two factors that limit access to our beloved businesses in the historic district. Wider sidewalks will create ADA access for all ages and abilities to equally enjoy downtown Basalt.

Rain gardens in the streetscape will filter runoff from the street and buildings before entering the Roaring Fork River.

Fact! 

The rain gardens will be seeded with native plants in a medium that will provide filtration before it enters the new underground stormwater system, which will prolong the life of the Town’s existing forebay, further treating the water before it enters the Roaring Fork River, improving our stewardship of this vital and beloved resource. 

There will be a net loss of parking after the project is built.

Fiction! 

The parking count will be exactly the same as before the project although reorganized with a greater concentration of parking in the Midland Spur.

There is a new median in the center of Midland Avenue.

Fiction!

The current center lane for deliveries will be maintained in the new design and will be bookended with rain gardens feeding the new underground stormwater system. 

The design is meant to slow down traffic.

Fact!

The design is pedestrian forward, which means enhanced crosswalks, change of materials on the road to highlight crosswalks, and additional lighting is meant to slow down traffic.  There are many visual clues to drivers that pedestrians are present. At the same time, travel lanes are wider than they are now, allowing fishing boats, emergency services, and all vehicles safer access through downtown.

Sign Up for Construction Updates

Please sign up for construction newsletter updates, which are sent weekly to keep you informed on construction impacts week by week in Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project.

Downtown Mural Competition

Midland Money

Midland Money is a Town of Basalt sponsored voucher program to support Midland Avenue’s summer economy. Each voucher has a $20 value and can be used to purchase goods, services, and food at participating Midland Avenue businesses. Vouchers can be picked up at Town Hall and Basalt events between July and September 2023. They may be used at participating businesses between now and September 20, 2023.  Learn more about the program here.

All businesses located on Midland Avenue, Two Rivers Road, or adjacent to Midland Avenue that have a current Town of Basalt business license are eligible to participate. Sign up here to participate.

Look for Town staff passing out Midland Money vouchers at the Wednesday night concert series and Sunday Market.

Recycling Event - July 29

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More Midland Streetscape Information

You can stay tuned to the Midland Streetscape project at letstalk.basalt.net in English and Spanish. You can contact the project team at midlandstreetscape@gmail.com.