Montezuma County is considering extending Seventh Street to improve access to the new high school.
The proposed half-mile extension would connect Seventh east to County Road 27, said road manager Rob Englehart.
The road would connect with the Re-1 bus garage off Road 27, and provide east-side access to the school.
“It will be much safer than the current route,” Englehart said. “They would not have to take that dangerous left onto Highway 160, then another left (on Sligo Street) through the Walmart traffic, to the school.”
He said landowners in a subdivision along Seventh like the idea. A portion of the extension is under an easement held by the city of Cortez.
“It would be a pretty easy road to put in,” Englehart said. “It would start out as gravel with mag chloride.”
County commissioners hope to share costs for the project with the Re-1 School District and the city of Cortez.
“We’re building this for the high school to accommodate extra traffic flow,” said commissioner Keenan Ertel. “I’d suggest we discuss sharing costs.”
The county has drawn up initial engineering plans. The cost of the project has not been determined, and a timeline was not released, pending financing.
