After months of early alarms and long lines, it’s time to say goodbye to the barricades and makeshift traffic lights. Monarch Boulevard has reopened after nine months of construction.
On Monday afternoon, Dec. 9, the section of Monarch from Castle Pines Parkway to Berganot Trail reopened. The completion of the construction comes as a continuation of the City of Castle Pines’ Road Solutions Initiative lasting through 2027.
“This additional work was completed Monday, marking the completion of the 2024 project and the reopening of Monarch Boulevard. By doing this” the City saved money and reduced the amount of work needed in 2025,’ project manager and civil engineer Dole Grebenik said.
The project, completed in four phases, completely rebuilt the 8,900-foot segment of Monarch along with several other road improvements including waterway replacements, 16 new accessible ramps and improved sidewalks and bike lanes.
“The City is very pleased with the project’s progress. This year’s project installed 8,900 feet of new waterline and completely reconstructed 1.7 miles of roadway and related infrastructure,” Grebenik said. “Because the original scope of the project was almost a month ahead of schedule in August, we were able to complete additional work this year.”
Students had similar reactions to the city about the road’s reopening, as detours were necessary during the construction. The detours added on time to simple trips such as to and from school. A light was stationed at the intersection of Buffalo Trail during the first phases. The light has now been taken down and there is no need to stop when continuing on past Buffalo Trail.
“I would always take [Monarch] to school, and I got so annoyed when we had to take the detour because of all the traffic,” Kaylin Stancik ‘25 said. “I’m so happy it’s back open again.”
In the few weeks ahead, the city plans to continue with the work through several smaller projects such as landscaping and sidewalk work underway while the roads are open both ways for traffic.
After the completion of this year’s project, no other construction is scheduled to take place on Monarch until this school year wraps up. The fifth and final phase of the project will begin in June 2025. It will last until the beginning of fall semester, with no official timeline in place.
“The final phase of the project is scheduled to start in June 2025. The duration of the phase has not yet been determined, but the work is expected to impact the beginning of the Fall 2025 school semester,” Grebenik said.
The final phase of the project will close off another section of Monarch, from Berganot Trail to Winter Berry Place. Construction projects across the city are tentatively scheduled to take place through 2027, sustaining the city’s Road Solutions Initiative project.
For any questions, comments or concerns email [email protected] or call 303-705-0200. For more information on future road construction projects, click here.