More Connectivity For Collins Drive

Casper City Council  authorized 1.6 million in funds for the next step in downtown street enhancements Tuesday night.

Collins drive between Kimball and Durbin is the  focus for the next step in the City's long term plans for improved connectivity and walk-ability.  "It's to make pavement improvements and aesthetic enhancements- improving sidewalk connectivity and lighting similar to Second Street and West Yellowstone projects downtown."

Gary Clough,  Public Services Director for the City of Casper  says the work will include opening Kimball for limited access on and off Collins.  The stretch of Collins sits off of another recent enhancement; the Beech Street Transit Plaza located between the Nic and the Library.

Another part of the connectivity mission comes  with the extension of David street from Midwest to Collins.  Clough says that work will be dedicated following completion of landscaping and lighting in the Spring.  This next 1.6 million dollar enhancement project follows several years of surveys and studies of the downtown.  "I believe in 1999 there were some downtown studies and then there was the downtown enhancement study that was completed approximately two years ago and this is one of the projects that was prioritized out of that."

Clough says further down the line,  and as yet unfunded,  will be a reconfiguring to the intersections at Center, Collins and Fifth.