Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and Mark Udall and U.S. Congressmen Ed Perlmutter and Jared Polis expressed their support for federal resources to help complete the U.S. 36 Express Lanes project, which will connect Denver’s Union Station to Boulder.

In a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the members of the Colorado Congressional delegation expressed their support for the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) forthcoming application for credit assistance through the Federal Highway Administration’s Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program to help complete Phase 2 of this project, which consists of extending the express lanes the final eight miles.

“CDOT’s High Performance Transportation Enterprise and the Colorado Department of Transportation expect to be able to use future TIFIA assistance to attract the necessary resources to finish this project,” the members wrote in the letter. “These infrastructure improvements are a necessity to prepare for the continued growth of this region.”

The U.S. 36 corridor is already home to numerous high-tech, energy, financial, and telecommunications companies among others and the population of these fast-growing communities is expected to soar to over 600,000 people by 2030.

Full text of the letter is included below.

Dear Secretary LaHood:

We write to express our strong support for the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) letter of interest and forthcoming application for credit assistance through the Federal Highway Administration’s Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program. This loan will help CDOT’s High Performance Transportation Enterprise (HPTE) and other stakeholders along the U.S. 36 corridor complete Phase 2 of the U.S. 36 Express Lanes project (hereinafter, “Express Lanes project”).

In its totality, the Express Lanes project includes 18 miles of proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service, the U.S. 36 bikeway, and a new managed lane in both directions of the highway. The project will connect Denver’s Union Station to Boulder, passing through Westminster, Broomfield, Superior, and Louisville. BRT will service six existing stations along U.S. 36 corridor, which is already home to numerous high-tech, energy, financial, and telecommunications companies among others. The population of these fast-growing communities is expected to soar to over 600,000 people by 2030.

More specifically, Phase 2 of this project consists of extending the express lanes the final eight miles from Interlocken Loop in Broomfield to Table Mesa in Boulder. The goal of the HPTE is to seek the maximum amount of federal resources through TIFIA, not only to complete Phase 2 but to complete it concurrently with Phase 1, enabling the entire corridor to be open to users by the year 2015.

We are appreciative of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s support for Phase 1 of this project with its award of a $10 million TIGER grant and a $54 million TIFIA loan. This federal assistance was used to advocate for additional state and regional funding to yield a total of $310.9 million for the U.S. 36 Express Lanes project. HPTE and the Colorado Department of Transportation expect to be able to use future TIFIA assistance to attract the necessary resources to finish this project.

These infrastructure improvements are a necessity to prepare for the continued growth of this region. We strongly support HPTE’s application for a TIFIA loan and thank you again for your past support of this important project. We ask that you give the application submitted by the Colorado Department of Transportation every appropriate consideration consistent with all applicable laws and regulations. Thank you for your attention, and please notify our offices of any funds awarded.