While the City of Delta was successful in its quest for grant funding for an alternate truck route, the $2.8 million awarded by the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) Monday falls far short of the $26.5 million needed to complete the project.

In 2009, the three coal mines in the North Fork Valley shipped over seven million tons of coal. The Union Pacific rail line which intersects HIghway 50 carries six trains to and from the North Fork every day. As a result, access to North Delta is blocked 12 times a day for approximately six minutes as the 100-car trains pass through town. The alternate truck route includes a bridge just west of Palmer Street which would carry the traffic over the rail lines.

Assistant city manager Steve Glammeyer has spent six years working on the project, which is designed to take trucks off Delta’s Main Street and ease noisy, dusty traffic congestion.

The alternate truck route — dubbed Confluence Drive — incorporates a bridge which carries traffic over the train tracks, which would end traffic back-ups and provide emergency access to North Delta.

DOLA had $17 million to distribute through a competitive grant process. Four of the seven finalists received funding; three were left empty-handed. The Town of Parachute received $8 million to construct a new interchange off I-70. A joint effort by Mesa County and the City of Grand Junction resulted in a $3.2 million grant to build the 29 Road overpass project. The Southwest Colorado Council of Governments received $3 million for regional telecommunications infrastructure.

The first reference to a truck bypass for Delta occurred during a 1947 city council meeting. While the possibility has been discussed on and off ever since, it wasn’t catapulted to the forefront when the railroad realignment was completed in 2007. The city came into possession of land which is a key component of the project.

In November 2009, nearly 77 percent of the city’s voters approved up to $30 million in bonding for the project. The bond would be repaid from the citywide capital improvement fund, but drawing the full $30 million could hamper the city’s ability to fund smaller projects and maintain existing infrastructure for several decades to come.

Shortly after receiving DOLA’s decision, Glammeyer said, “I think we’ll spend a day or two just trying to think through that. We need to spend some time looking through the numbers and visiting with council. They will ultimately make a decision on where to go.”

Having invested several years in the project, Glammeyer said he was disappointed in the outcome. “I thought we had a really good project that deserved funding.”

Glammeyer led the presentation to the DOLA board last week. Gerald Roberts and Chris Miller traveled to Denver to show support for the project.

“It’s a big puzzle,” said Roberts, who has declared his candidacy for city council. “I don’t really know what the next step will be.”

Although phasing the project has been discussed, Roberts believes the project will be most effective if it’s completed in its entirety. “The $2.8 million doesn’t even touch the bridges across the railroad tracks, and that what needs to be accomplished for emergency services to get into the north side of Delta. It’s going to take an awful lot of thought to move forward on it.”

A key component, he added, will be the new city manager’s capability to “massage” the project and possibly locate additional funding to get it done.

“I was hoping for more support from DOLA,” Miller said. “But my understanding, from a comment made at the presentation, is there may be another opportunity for energy grant monies down the road. Delta’s presentation was very strong, and it’s my hopes that city council sees the $2.8 million dollar award as seed money for Delta’s future. As Steve [Glammeyer] said we have waited for over 60 years for the alternate truck route — it’s time. Delta’s no stranger to grassroot initiatives — we can make it happen.”

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