Map of the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard extension and other future roadways in the southeast portion of Stapleton. Courtesy of AECOM.

Construction of the Martin Luther King Boulevard extension from Havana Street to Peoria Street will begin in July or August said Dennis Arbogast, AECOM project engineer at the February meeting of the Stapleton Parks Advisory Group (PAG). Construction of the $15 million project is expected to take one year. The project is funded approximately half by Denver and half by a federal grant.

From Moline Street to Peoria Street, the project adds two through lanes in each direction along with 18 foot wide medians and detached parallel bicycle/pedestrian facilities: 10 feet in width on the south side, 12 feet in width on the north side to conform with Sand Creek Park Greenway standards. There will be on-street vehicular parking on the south side.
On the existing stretch of MLK from Iola Street to Moline Street, the project adds one lane in each direction.

The roadway will be posted with a 35 mile per hour speed limit.

Project features include entry elements, street trees, native landscaping and a large stormwater quality pond at the northwest corner of the Peoria street intersection.

Extension of MLK has long been sought by Denver as a necessary addition to the city’s arterial street system. This “regionally significant” project will connect Stapleton to the Anschutz Medical Campus and provide walkers and bikers easy access to the FasTracks commuter rail and light rail stations. MLK currently accommodates an average of 15,000 vehicles per day with a projection of 29,000 average daily trips (ADT) by the year 2040.

Denver is hosting a public meeting on the MLK extension project at 6 pm on Thursday, March 3 at the Central Park Recreation Center.