Golden calls Portuguese toll-road deal 'shortsighted'

September 5, 2007

By Kevin Flynn, Rocky Mountain News

Golden says the deal to turn the Northwest Parkway toll road over to a Portuguese company for 99 years guarantees a "century of congestion" because it discourages widening of other roads that could lure toll payers away.

The city, which has been fighting plans to complete the metro beltway - of which Northwest Parkway forms a nine-mile arc - said the no-compete clause in the deal between the parkway and Brisa Auto-Estradas de Portugal "intentionally ties the hands of local and regional governments and the state to address transportation needs in this area."

The agreement, signed last week, gives Brisa the right to receive make-whole payments from the authority or to back out entirely from the contract if the state, nearby cities or counties build roads that could reduce toll-paying traffic.

Such clauses have been standard in many toll-road deals.

"To intentionally impose a century of congestion on future generations in exchange for this short-term bailout is shockingly shortsighted," said Golden Mayor Pro Tem Jacob Smith.

The agreement specifically says Brisa is entitled to compensation or to cancel the deal if the state, Broomfield, Weld County, Lafayette or another highway authority build any highway that comes within five miles of the parkway for at least a five-mile distance.

It also calls for compensation or cancellation if 160th Avenue is extended west from Sheridan Parkway to connect to South Boulder Road at 120th Street in Lafayette, or if mass transit improvements are made in the corridor.

The lease specifically excludes already approved FasTracks projects along U.S. 36, along with planned extensions to Colorado 128 and Colorado 93.

The Colorado 93 extension has Golden concerned. The city opposes extension of the beltway down Colorado 93 and U.S. 6 to connect with C-470 on Golden's south side. The city says that would split Golden in two.