Peoria Street Bridge Replacement

The proposed project design replaces the existing Peoria Street bridge with one that is 56.5 feet wider to accommodate all travel modes and address congestion caused by the narrow bridge and travel lane constraints at Fitzsimons Parkway (Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard). The current bridge will be replaced and expanded to seven lanes, providing an additional travel lane in each direction, a center left-turn lane, a 10-foot sidewalk on the west side, and a 14-foot shared-use path on the east side.

The proposed project will widen Peoria Street to three lanes in each direction and introduce a triple left-turn lane for southbound traffic at the Fitzsimons Parkway (Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) intersection. Three lanes in each direction of Peoria Street will extend through the Fitzsimons Parkway (Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) intersection. A second westbound left turn lane will be added on Fitzsimons Parkway to better accommodate the high demand for access to southbound Peoria Street.

Direct access to the Sand Creek Greenway and Sand Creek Park will be provided from the west side of Peoria Street, creating a new trail connection that enhances safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists. A physical barrier will separate the vehicle lanes from the sidewalk and path across the bridge, providing an added measure of safety.

The new bridge will be longer to improve hydraulics and minimize impacts to water surface elevation in Sand Creek. During construction, the bridge will be built in phases to maintain traffic flow. Aurora is exploring aesthetic enhancements to the bridge that will enrich the experience of travelers on Peoria Street and users of the adjacent sidewalks and trails. The project also includes upgrades to utilities such as sanitary sewer, storm drainage, and water.

With the proposed design, the widening of both the roadway and the sidewalk will impact the southeast corner of the Sand Creek Greenway. To better accommodate pedestrian and cyclist movements, the concrete trail in the Greenway's eastern portion will be realigned. During future construction, signage will be posted for a detour to access the trail.

The widening of both the roadway and the shared-use path will impact the southwest corner of Sand Creek Park. The project includes construction of a new trail connection between the Peoria Street shared-use path and the existing Sand Creek Greenway trail, further improving mobility for non-motorized users.

Additionally, the area north of Sand Creek within the park will be temporarily used for construction staging. This activity will take place in a section of the park that is not typically accessed by the public and will be fully restored to its original condition upon completion of the project.

A gravel driveway will be extended into Sand Creek Park along the east side of Peoria Street to provide safe and limited maintenance access, avoiding potential safety concerns that would arise from using Peoria Street directly. The driveway is expected to be used infrequently, approximately once every 12 to 18 months. This section of the park is not actively used for recreation. It is flat, next to the roadway, and separated topographically from active recreation uses.

The project will require the removal of several trees within Sand Creek Greenway and Sand Creek Park. To mitigate this impact, trees will either be replaced at a 1:1 ratio within the greenway and park or through payment to the City of Aurora’s Community Tree Funds, which supports the initiative Reinvesting in Aurora’s Urban Canopy for Social Equity and Climate Resilience - City of Aurora.

Construction within Sand Creek Greenway and Sand Creek Park is estimated to take about two years. During this time, signage will be posted if detours are required to access the Greenway, Park and associated trails.

Public comments regarding these improvements and impacts to Sand Creek Greenway, Sand Creek Park and trails may be provided to Zach Hribar at zhribar@auroragov.org.

Travel conditions will continue to degrade if changes are not made to improve capacity and mobility for all modes. Four project alternatives were evaluated in addition to a No Build condition. Each alternative considered future development and traffic growth in the area. The options were compared based on construction impacts, traffic improvements, available vehicle storage space and cost. Alternative 3 was determined to best address the long-term transportation needs of the corridor while balancing site constraints and overall project goals.

Key features that set each alternative apart are described below.

• Alternative 1 – Widen bridge to six lanes, provide two southbound left turn lanes where one lane extends only to the south edge of the bridge
• Alternative 2 – Widen bridge to seven lanes, provide two southbound left turn lanes where one lane extends across the bridge
• Alternative 3 – Widen bridge to seven lanes, provide three southbound left turn lanes where one lane extends across the bridge
• Alternative 4 – Widen bridge to eight lanes with a partial continuous flow intersection (CFI) configuration on northbound and southbound Peoria Street at Fitzsimons Parkway, two southbound left turn lanes extend across the bridge

A non-scientific survey was conducted from June 2 to Aug. 15, 2025 to gather community feedback on Peoria Street between Fitzsimons Parkway/MLK Jr. Boulevard and 30th Avenue. A total of 126 responses were recorded, with most respondents reporting that they travel along Peoria Street primarily by vehicle. Bicycling was the second most common mode of transportation. The majority of respondents indicated they travel the corridor a few times a week or month, while fewer than 15 percent reported using it daily.

Survey participants were asked to rank the importance of several upgrades proposed as part of the project. The highest priorities were building a shared-use path along Peoria Street and addressing intersection congestion, followed by adding travel lanes. Widening sidewalks and improving access to Sand Creek Park and the Sand Creek Greenway received the lowest rankings, although all five upgrades were rated relatively closely in importance.

56 respondents (44 percent) left additional information for the team regarding current conditions or potential improvements. A few themes emerged in the written comments. There is a divide between support for increasing vehicle capacity to address the current bottleneck and concerns that road widening will negatively impact safety. Many respondents are interested in improvements to the Sand Creek Greenway Trail including better connections from Peoria Street. Vehicle speed reduction strategies are desired along with safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists. Multiple comments cited issues with current signal timing along Peoria Street between I-70 and the MLK Jr. Boulevard / Fitzsimons Parkway intersection. A few respondents also advocated for the inclusion of public art as part of the project.