Last year’s storms and delays in utility removal have pushed the multi-million dollar Colorado Lagoon channel project — and related street closures — into 2025, according to a presentation by city staff.
The project, which will connect the lagoon to Marine Stadium, broke ground in December 2022, with road closures slated to last 16 months. The original plan would have meant streets would reopen around March of this year. Numerous delays, however, pushed the reopening of Colorado and Eliot streets into 2025.
Excessive rain during the first quarter of last year was the first delay that work crews encountered, according to a Dec. 13 presentation. The greater hurdle, however, was the removal of unmapped and third-party utilities and hazmat abatement.
Utility relocation and removal was anticipated to take about four and a half months but ended up taking 10 months, the presentation shows. Recent heavy rains have not caused further delays but the city will reassess again after next week’s storm, according to Public Works spokesperson Joy Contreras.