Staff: split‑tunnel idea for 'entrance to Aspen' was set aside after FHWA guidance

Council members used the work session to follow up on an information‑only memo about the entrance‑to‑Aspen project. A council member asked whether certain ideas—like slip lanes, Owl Creek intersection improvements, and a proposal to bifurcate the tunnel—had been set aside. Project staff said the split‑tunnel option was pushed aside after feedback from the Federal Highway Administration that it would likely require a supplemental environmental impact statement rather than a reevaluation.

Staff emphasized the city is not the sole decisionmaker on the project and that FHWA and the Colorado Department of Transportation are co‑participants in determining whether a modification triggers further review. Staff also noted other ideas had been refined and that some modifications (for example, changes to a bus lane between the roundabout and Buttermilk) would likely require a public vote based on the city attorney's opinion. Council asked that the memo be amended to record which concepts had been excluded and why.