Celebrating a Milestone: U.S. 85 Widening Ribbon‑Cutting in Douglas County

Douglas County proudly celebrated the ribbon‑cutting for the newly widened U.S. 85 corridor, officially marking the successful completion of a major infrastructure improvement—several months ahead of schedule. The widened corridor, stretching from Highlands Ranch Parkway to just north of C‑470 (Dad Clark Gulch), now boasts extra lanes, upgraded intersections, safer crossings, trail underpasses, updated bus stops, and modernized traffic signals.

Partners at the Ceremony

The event brought together key stakeholders across public and private sectors:

• Kraemer North America was represented by Mike McNish, highlighting their role in the project’s construction.

• Ellie Reynolds, President and CEO of the Douglas County Economic Development Corporation (EDC), stood front and center, reinforcing the EDC’s commitment to fostering economic growth in Douglas County.

• The Douglas County Board of Commissioners— including Kevin Van Winkle, and Abe Laydon offered remarks and praises for the project.

• Sterling Ranch Development Company – Brock Smethills They have a strong legacy of infrastructure collaboration with Douglas County

Commissioner Abe Laydon celebrated the project’s alignment with public input:

“The US 85 widening project is a true milestone and example of Douglas County listening to citizens and putting plans in place to improve a major transportation corridor for thousands of our residents, which will also serve to ignite economic development along this important corridor.”

Commissioner Kevin Van Winkle praised both leadership and community collaboration:

“This investment means our residents can travel through the county much more quickly and efficiently. Thank you to everyone who was mindful of detours and closures during high‑impact work so our crews could work efficiently and safely.”