Serving the community since 1906
WEEK OF JUNE 26, 2025
VOLUME 118 | ISSUE 26
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Colorado lawmakers stay vigilant
Fort Lupton’s most dangerous road will be improved
Lawmakers redact names after Minnesota assassination
Left-hand turns banned at the intersection while long-term fixes are considered
BY DELILAH BRUMER COLORADO NEWSLINE
Mariah Northcott, CDOT project manager, stated, “We know about all the accidents we’re having on U.S. Highway 85 and County Road 8. There’s a lot of concern, and the accidents are very severe.” Left-hand turns, especially at that busy intersection, appear to be the main culprit, she said. “This data reflects the trend we’re observing at that intersection, with a total of 57 accidents recorded over the past 10 years,” Northcott said. “Out of those, 47% involve broadsides or T-bone collisions, and 28% are approach left turn accidents, indicating that 75% are related to turning. We’ve experienced six fatalities there, two of which have occurred so far this year in 2025, so it’s dangerous.” Northcott said CDOT is looking to implement a two-step solution. Their normal project process would take about two years, so there is still a lot of work and analysis they need to conduct. In the short term, they plan to ban lefthand turns at the intersection – both from the road onto U.S. 85 and from southbound 85 onto the road.
More than 40 Colorado elected officials as of Tuesday have requested the redaction of their addresses and other personal information from the state’s online campaign finance database. The Colorado secretary of state suspended the website on Saturday, due to safety concerns in the aftermath of shootings targeting two Minnesota Democratic lawmakers. Melissa Hortman, the Minnesota House Democratic leader, and her husband Mark Hortman were shot and killed this weekend by a man who came to their home posing as a police officer, federal officials said. Vance Boelter, 57, faces charges for the murders, as well as for the shootings of Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman, who are expected to recover. Colorado lawmakers have condemned the shootings, and many are taking additional safety precautions. Colorado House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Democrat from Dillon, said in a statement that “what happened in Minnesota has shaken us to our very core.” “Our democracy is based on the idea that we resolve our differences through peaceful debate and in courts, elected bodies, state legislatures and the halls of Congress, not political violence,” she said. Colorado Senate President James Coleman, a Denver Democrat, said he has “been in close and ongoing communication” with the Colorado State Patrol, and he has adjusted his driving patterns when going to work, for safety reasons. “This assassination and targeted attack in Minnesota was a tragedy and a disturbing escalation of political violence in our country,” Coleman said in an interview Tuesday. “It’s understandable that legislators are concerned for their safety and the safety of their families. I am for myself and my family.”
SEE IMPROVEMENTS, P6
SEE LAWMAKERS, P18
The intersection at U.S. Highway 85 and Weld County Road 8 just south of Fort Lupton. The road will be closed to left hand turns to cut down on accidents while state, county and city officials consider permanent changes to make it safe. BELEN WARD BY BELEN WARD BELEN@COTLIN.ORG
Rocenda Arenas had heard about how dangerous the intersection of U.S. 85 and Weld County Road 8 was, but it hit home in a tragic way in March. That’s when her 19-year-old son Leo Juanito Vicente died at the intersection. Her son was one of two killed at the intersection this year, a country road leading into busy U.S. 85 traffic with just a stop sign to control traffic. A red cross, decorated with flowers and his name, marks the spot where Vicente died. So news that Fort Lupton and the Colorado Department of Transportation have started looking into improving it made her cry. “I’m happy that they are finally going to do something about that road and to save someone’s child, parents, brothers, and sisters,” Arenas said. Fort Lupton’s most dangerous intersection, at U.S. Highway 85 and County Road 8, is set to be closed while safety improvements are designed and put in place, according to city and state officials. When it reopens, left-hand turns – both from the road onto U.S. 85 southbound
and from U.S. 85 onto County Road 8 – will be banned. The Highway 85 Coalition held a meeting on June 12 with officials from Weld and Adams Counties to discuss plans for improving the intersection. “Safety is our primary concern. We’re grateful that our partnerships with Weld, Fort Lupton, and local emergency response are allowing us to move quickly to improve this dangerous intersection,” said Chad Hall, CDOT project manager. Fort Lupton Mayor Zo Hubbard said it’s been at the top of her to-do list since she was first elected. “This is one of the things that was on my list to accomplish when we first started the Highway 85 Coalition,” Hubbard said. “It’s been maybe 20 years. We created an access control plan, established environmental linkages, and conducted studies on Highway 85 and County Road 8 to fix this and make the intersection safe. “There were also people who opposed what we were planning to do. However, there comes a point when we must prioritize protecting lives. The Colorado Department of Transportation CDOT managed to secure the funds, which is truly a blessing.”
WESTMINSTER VOICES: 10 | LIFE: 12 | CALENDAR: 17
Scrutiny on left-hand turns
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