The project will replace aging waterlines along 63rd Street between CO 119 and Valmont Road. The purpose of the project is to protect public health and safety and improve drinking water service to the Gunbarrel community.

The second and final phase of the project, between Jay and Valmont roads, begins in the summer of 2025 with anticipated completion in the summer of 2026.

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Completion Date
2025
Current Phase
Build

Project Overview

Boulder strives to provide customers with safe and high-quality drinking water. We use waterlines, also known as water service lines or main water lines, to supply drinking water to our community.

To continue providing safe, clean water, we must replace older waterlines once they reach the end of their functional lifespan. The existing waterlines along 63rd Street are outdated, difficult to maintain and vulnerable to failure. Replacement before they break down is essential to provide water for Boulder.

Both phases of the project will replace aging infrastructure with newer, more easily maintained waterlines to improve water distribution resilience. One of the new waterlines will also be twice as large as the previous waterline, helping provide improved drinking water service for the Gunbarrel community.

Construction Impacts

While the city will minimize impacts to the fullest extent possible, there will be impacts along 63rd Street between Jay and Valmont roads for the duration of the final phase.

Travel Impacts

New 24-inch steel water line being installed under 63rd Street

View travel impact updates and suggested detours on the city’s Cone Zones map. Scheduling is weather-dependent and may change. Travelers can expect:

  • Throughout the project, 63rd Street/Andrus Road/62nd Street between Jay and Valmont roads will be closed to driving, biking and walking. The multi-use path will also be closed. Only local and business access will be maintained.
  • As the first phase winds down in August, both lanes of traffic on 63rd Street between Gunbarrel Avenue to the 63rd Street railroad crossing will shift to the east side of 63rd Street. This is a necessary traffic shift as we have transitioned from installing the 12" waterline to installing the 30" steel waterline.

Community members can continue to access nearby neighborhoods and businesses throughout construction, though they may experience detours. We will work directly with affected community members in advance.

Nearby Projects

Community members in the area may also experience nearby travel impacts from state and county transportation projects, unrelated to this project. Funding and maintenance lifecycles affect the timing of major infrastructure projects, which often take years to complete and can then overlap with other construction projects.

We are working to coordinate traffic impacts and construction wherever possible with local and regional agencies, as well as affected residents and businesses, to reduce impacts. While impactful, the project timeline has been accelerated to reduce the length of construction by several months.

We know these impacts can be very frustrating and we take project impacts seriously. Thank you for your patience as the city works to replace vital drinking water infrastructure in the Gunbarrel neighborhood.

Water Service Impacts

There may also be limited local impacts to water service for short periods of time during construction. The project team will work directly with affected community members in advance of local impacts.


Drinking Water System Testing

The city will perform drinking water system testing Mondays through Fridays from Sept. 5 to Sept. 26 in the area south of Valmont Road and east of Foothills Parkway.

During testing, homes and businesses may notice pressure fluctuations lasting 10 to 20 minutes. We anticipate similar testing in the coming weeks and will share updates as details become available.

Splashing water

Learn More

This project phase will replace a 12-inch and 30-inch waterline. The second phase of the project will replace an aging 24-inch pipeline with a new larger 30-inch pipeline for better water flow and resilience. This project is funded by the city's Utilities Fund.

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