Amid an endless sea of orange cones and concrete barriers from months of Colfax Bus Rapid Transit construction, there’s a very visible piece of the final product.
People traveling along Colfax might see a large, curved steel structure on its side at Franklin Street, across from Scooter Liquors, waiting to be hoisted into place by a crane.
The giant white arch will act as the spine of one of the dozens of new bus stops that will eventually line the avenue. The project is a $300 million reimagining of the avenue, with BRT running along the current 15 and 15L routes.
The signature feature of each BRT bus stop will be a 21-foot tall, 87-foot long white arch. The arches will support shades to shelter bus riders from the Denver elements.
The first of the Colfax BRT arches will be installed during night work starting next Tuesday evening at Colfax Avenue and Franklin Street.
In the years to come, BRT crews will install another 31 arches for stops along Colfax from Broadway to approximately Monaco Street Parkway.
The BRT project will feature dedicated bus lanes in the middle of the street, served by raised, sheltered platforms. Right now, many Colfax bus stops are little more than a sign on the side of the road.
Work is slated to continue in various phases through 2027 — but the Franklin Street arch is an early, tangible sign of what’s to come.
