Weld County Road 37 opens ahead of schedule

Published on May 21, 2025

Last Monday’s opening of Weld County Road (WCR) 37 between WCR 8 and Colorado Highway 52 — 18 days ahead of schedule — presented more than a newly paved and striped road to the traveling public; it showed what the Weld County Department of Public Works aims to do with every project — complete it on or ahead of schedule and on or under budget.

“We realize road projects can be an inconvenience, and whether we work to complete them in-house or with an outside contractor, completing the project as quickly as possible and to the highest standard is our goal,” Weld County Public Works Director Curtis Hall said. “It’s something I’ve seen consistently in more than 25 years with public works. Our work on county road 37 is the latest example.”

The project focused on repaving just over two miles of road on WCR 37 between WCR 8 and Colorado Highway 52, a need that developed after years of heavy truck traffic caused significant cracking to the driving surface. Coulson Excavating Company Inc. completed the work on the road, located north of Lochbuie and west of Hudson, and public works served as the project manager.

A road project can take significant time for several reasons — bad weather, more work required than anticipated, supply issues, etc. Weld County Public Works Engineer Erich Green said work on WCR 37, which began on April 7, moved along quickly.

“The contractor worked diligently, and the weather was mostly cooperative throughout the project. Once the temporary full closure of WCR 37 went into effect April 21, it really helped efficiency,” Green said. He explained after the existing asphalt was removed, less patching was required than anticipated, which saved time and money and allowed Coulson to add two layers of asphalt instead of one, which was originally planned. The extra layer, Green said, creates a “smoother driving surface and a longer-lasting overlay.”

Finishing well ahead of the May 30 deadline not only means the road is open sooner it also means a saving to taxpayers. While exact figures are not yet known, Green said he expects the project cost to be well under its budget of $1.79 million.

“In all we do, we aim to be as efficient as possible with taxpayer dollars, and this project is a great example,” said Perry Buck Weld County Commissioner Chair. “This project is a win for public works and for those who use that road every day.”