Windsor Charter Academy’s school year is picking back up Friday, August 18  for kindergarten, 6^th grade and 9^th grade, and will be in full swing starting Monday, August 21. Here is some additional information for parents regarding the pick-up/drop-off process and the Eastman Park Dr./CO 257 intersection improvements.

• While the northbound portion of the intersection will remain closed through Friday, August 25, the southbound portion remains open.
• Commuters traveling from Greeley are encouraged to detour using 83^rd Ave. to Eastman Park Dr. Commuters traveling from Severance or north/northwest Windsor will have to detour using CO 392 (Main St.) to CR 23 onto Eastman Park Dr.
• Commuters traveling from western Windsor will have to detour using Garden Dr. from 1^st St. or CO 257.
• Lastly, commuters traveling from south Windsor will have to detour using 7^th St. to Garden Dr. or Eastman Park Dr. to 1^st St. onto Garden Dr.

Parents of students are strongly discouraged from parking along Automation Dr. for prior to dismissal queueing due to the inherent dangers of increased traffic. Additionally, many of the areas along Automation Dr. are signed as no parking areas and will be enforced by Windsor PD. Residents and business owners are asked to use extra caution around the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. during pick-up and drop-off.

Parents of elementary students can find more info at: windsorcharteracademy.org/es-drop-off-and-pick-up. Parents of middle/high school students (as well as parents with kids in both schools) can find more info at: https://www.windsorcharteracademy.org/mshs-pick-up-and-drop-off.

The southbound portion of Eastman Park Dr. and CO 257 has reopened to through traffic as of Friday, August 4. The northbound portion of the intersection from the temporary signal to Commons Dr. will remain closed until Friday, August 25 or until the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is finished with their floodplain repair along CO 257 near Crossroads Blvd., weather permitting. During this time, residents will have to continue detouring using the shoofly onto Eastman Park Dr. and Automation Dr. if turning northbound from Poudre Trail Dr. or Kodak Dr.

CDOT’s roadway improvements from the roundabout just north of Walnut St. to Commons Dr. is also completed and residents are now able to travel southbound from the intersection north of Walnut St. south to Crossroads Blvd. along CO 257. CDOT continues to work on the roadway north of Crossroads Blvd. until Friday, August 25.

On Wednesday, July 19 and Friday, July 21, the intersection of Garden Dr. and CO 257 will be completely closed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for demolition and repaving, weather permitting. The intersection will be open to traffic on Thursday, July 20 on a temporary gravel surface. During the week of Monday, July 24, work on the final top layer of pavement along CO 257 will begin. While the final layer of asphalt is installed along CO 257, there will be intermittent, short-term closures of the Garden Dr. intersection while the construction crew paves through in each direction.  During this time, business access will remain open, and residents will have to detour via Automation Dr. or CR 23.

Starting June 5, CO 257 will be closed from the roundabout north of Walnut St. to Eastman Park Dr. The closure is anticipated to last 30 days and crews will be working six days a week, weather permitting. Commuters will have to detour and businesses will remain open.

Due to the historic precipitation Windsor experienced in May and June, both CDOT’s and the Town of Windsor’s roadway and intersection improvement projects have seen significant delays. The closure is intended to catch up on lost time without having to work under live traffic conditions. Not only does this speed up the construction process, but it is safer for workers as well.

Local traffic traveling north or south on CO 257 will have to detour using Crossroads Blvd.,7^th St., 1^st St., and Garden Dr. to retain business accessibility. Trucks and commercial vehicles will have to detour using Eastman Park Dr. and County Rd. 23. Garden Dr. will remain open during the closure period, except for a couple of days in mid-July to allow CDOT to rebuild the Garden Dr. and CO 257 intersection. More information will be shared once it becomes available.

The Town of Windsor is responsible for work on the Eastman Park Dr./CO 257 intersection. Visit the project page to access the latest project updates at windsorgov.com/257Eastman. To sign up for traffic closure notifications regarding the Town of Windsor portion of the project, text Roads to 970-251-7151. For updates specific to CDOT’s project, visit codot.gov/projects/co257us34walnut. Text 257 to 866-762-3640 to receive CDOT’s traffic alerts.

TRAFFIC ALERT: Here's an update on the road construction project happening along Eastman Park Dr. at Hwy. 257. 

• The west half of the intersection is closed on Eastman Park Dr. between State Hwy. 257 and the Cornerstone Dr. roundabout. 
• A shoofly detour opened today on the other side of the intersection that allows traffic to bypass the east-side closure.
• Detours are recommended as CDOT continues to work on State Hwy. 257 between Eastman Park Dr. and Walnut St. 

The Eastman Park Dr. & Hwy. 257 intersection improvement project is underway. The project completed environmental clearance surveying for possible wildlife impacts in mid-May and encountered minor delays due to weather. Last week, (Thursday, May 18) contractors were out drilling foundation holes for temporary traffic signal pole installation. Once the signals are installed and operational and the shoofly construction is complete, the temporary road detour will go into effect. Cones will be set up while work is completed along the shoulder of the road. In early June, the section of Eastman Park Dr. crossing Hwy. 257 will close for the summer while roadway work commences and the railroad completes track and signal improvements. Commuters using Eastman Park Dr. will have to detour to Garden Dr. using 1^st St. or Cornerstone Dr. Highway 257 will remain open to traffic during the town’s intersection work.

Additionally, during that summer closure the Poudre Express stops along Eastman Park Dr. will be temporarily closed and relocated to the west. The eastbound stop will be relocated to the west side of the roundabout and the westbound stop will be relocated to Cornerstone Dr. north of the church parking lot entrance. Temporary pickup locations will be setup June 2 through June 5 and service moved to the new temporary pickup locations. Bus service will be maintained throughout construction.

To receive traffic alert notifications, text Roads to 970-251-7151. For additional information, visit windsorgov.com/257Eastman.