CDOT scheduled its $7.1 million rebuild of US 6 between Rupp Avenue and Iowa Avenue for January through October 2026. That October finish has slipped. The project page now says the work should be done in late 2026, and contractor KSK LLC is in the final phase at the new concrete roundabout at Elberta Avenue. Four things are left: concrete to tie Elberta Avenue and the business driveways into US 6, the final layer of asphalt, striping and signs, and the pedestrian crossing.
That remaining work is about connections. The roundabout itself is mostly built. The side streets, frontage roads and path that feed into it are the parts Palisade drivers use every day, and CDOT is redesigning several of them rather than restoring them.
What's Still Closed as October Ends
The Western Slope Trellis road report for the week of Oct. 26 described the roundabout as in its final phase. It said Rupp Avenue was still closed at US 6 and Elberta Avenue was still closed at the south frontage road. CDOT's project page lists the full set of closures and detours:
| Location | Status | Way around |
|---|---|---|
| Rupp Avenue at US 6 | Closed in both directions | Go south to Fairhaven Drive, then Montclair Avenue or Shiraz Avenue |
| Elberta Avenue at the South Frontage Road, which is G Road | Closed | Use Vineyard Avenue, Logan Court or Iowa Avenue |
| G Road at Elberta Avenue | Closed | Eastbound traffic headed for homes between Vineyard and Iowa, or for TerraVin Cellars, takes the slip ramp just east of the roundabout |
| West 8th Street frontage road, Elberta Avenue to 37 1/10 Road | Closed to general traffic | Local property owners only; business access stays open |
| Bike and pedestrian path, Elberta to Vineyard | Closed | Detour on Elberta Avenue, Fairhaven Road and Vineyard Avenue |
On weekdays, flaggers walk pedestrians through the work zone between Elberta and Vineyard from 7 to 9 a.m. They also escort from 3 to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday only. At other times, CDOT asks people crossing US 6 to use the crosswalks at Rupp Avenue or just east of Iowa Avenue. The project line for questions is 970-765-7160.
Plans changed with little warning this month. The Trellis reported on Oct. 9 that westbound US 6, called Front Street through town, had been closed since that Monday between Peach and Elberta avenues for an emergency repair at the roundabout. COtrip showed the closure lasting through Sunday night and listed no detour. By the morning of Oct. 16 the closure no longer appeared on COtrip, but CDOT had not posted a notice that the road had reopened. CDOT links its daily work and lane closure map on COtrip from the project page, and it is the most current place to check before you leave.
Three Intersections, One Fix
The roundabout is at Elberta, but the problem CDOT set out to solve covered three intersections. CDOT says the junctions of US 6 with Rupp Avenue, Elberta Avenue and Iowa Avenue sit so close together that they create safety and traffic-flow problems. The agency's design summary lists more specific issues. Drivers were going the wrong way on 37 1/10 Road to reach the south frontage road. Elberta and Iowa met US 6 at offset points. And the corridor had few safe connections for people on foot or bike.
In January, CDOT resident engineer Kaity Clark told WesternSlopeNow that several frontage road and highway connections meet in this area, along with walking and biking needs tied to nearby schools. She said that mix is why CDOT chose a roundabout over a traffic signal. CDOT's stated goals are to cut wait times by reducing or eliminating stops and to reduce severe crashes by eliminating left turns across traffic.
The schedule started slipping before the first day of work. KJCT reported on Jan. 20 that utility work had run long and pushed the start back to Jan. 26. At that point, late October was still the expected finish.
The Detour Habits That Carry Over
The project's written scope includes changing or eliminating existing frontage roads and converting two-way frontage roads to one-way to improve access for bicycles and pedestrians. It also adds sidewalks between Rupp and Iowa, reconfigures the US 6 and Iowa Avenue intersection, and rebuilds about 500 feet of US 6 near Elberta. CDOT's project map shows one-way frontage roads on both the eastbound and westbound sides, with dedicated pedestrian and bike paths.
The construction layout already works that way. According to CDOT, each frontage road in the work zone currently has one vehicle lane running one way and a shared lane for pedestrians and bikes. The southwest frontage road, G Road, is open to eastbound traffic only.
A routine built around the one-way G Road since construction began in January will likely still work after the project ends. The old left turns across US 6 are another matter, because the design is meant to remove them and send that traffic through the roundabout.
Reaching the Places Inside the Work Zone
These businesses and sites sit in or next to the construction, and each one has its own way in for now:
- TerraVin Cellars, listed in the Palisade Chamber directory at 349 W 8th Street, is the only business CDOT names in its traffic notes. Eastbound drivers reach it by taking the slip ramp just east of the roundabout onto G Road.
- Palisade History Museum, 3740 G Road, sits just east of Elberta on the north frontage road. The museum closed during the roundabout work and has reopened. Its own update called access tricky and asked visitors to drive carefully, because the frontage road out front was temporarily down to one shared lane.
- The Launch Bay, 808 Shiraz Drive, is on one of the streets CDOT sends Rupp Avenue traffic to. A September update from All Things Palisade listed Tuesday through Friday hours of 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., with hot breakfast from 7 to 10 a.m. and hot lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Palisade Chamber lists Palisade Kombucha at the same address.
- G Road wineries, including Cliff Dweller Wine Co. at 3674 G Road and Talon Wines at the Meadery at 3701 G Road, are both listed in the Chamber directory. Elberta is closed at G Road, so the way in for now is Vineyard Avenue, Logan Court or Iowa Avenue.
- Palisade Pizza and PourHouse is listed by the Chamber at 785 Elberta Avenue.
If you are headed downtown from I-70, you don't need Elberta at all. The Town of Palisade's directions from Exit 42 send drivers left on W. 1st Street and right on Main Street.
December 4 Is the Next Big Day Downtown
The project's late-fall finish window overlaps with the Palisade Chamber's Olde Fashioned Christmas on Friday and Saturday, December 4 and 5. The Parade of Lights starts at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The tree lighting follows the Taylor Elementary carolers, and the fire station tower is lit at 6 p.m. On Saturday, the Soup Challenge runs from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Participants include Reckless Brewing Company, Fidel's Cocina and Bar, Maison La Belle Vie Winery & Eatery, Peach Street Distillers and Wine Country Inn. The free Winter Faire artisan market runs the same day, and vendor applications are due November 7. Carriage rides run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the Palisade History Museum on G Road is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as part of the event.
CDOT has not linked its completion date to the holiday weekend. Construction crews work Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday traffic should mostly be dealing with the finished layout or the detour, not active work. Friday's 5:30 p.m. parade starts while crews could still be on the clock. Check COtrip that afternoon before heading toward Elberta, or come into town on W. 1st Street.
If you own a home near Rupp Avenue, Elberta Avenue or the G Road frontage and want to talk through how the finished one-way layout could change access to your property, Your 3A Team knows this corner of Palisade well. Request a free home consultation.