The intersection of Horsetooth Road and College Avenue is almost ready to reopen — almost.

The completion of the nearly three-month road improvement project has been delayed for an extra week, according to a City news release. West Horsetooth Road and the College Avenue intersection will reopen the morning of Sept. 16, though they were originally slated to reopen Sept. 10.

One left-turn lane will reopen Sept. 10 from southbound College Avenue to eastbound Horsetooth Road. When the project first started, no left turns were allowed in any direction.

All businesses in the area will remain open and accessible, though drivers may need to take some alternate entrance routes.

Crews lost several days of progress due to unforeseen underground conditions and have been working days, nights and weekends for several weeks in an effort to meet the schedule, according to the release.

The original opening date was based on a very aggressive schedule, Project Manager Dan Woodward wrote in the release.

But the extension will ultimately open more travel lanes and intersection turn lanes through the remainder of the project, Woodward wrote.

During the extension, crews will work with an irrigation ditch company to complete most of the College Avenue box widening.

The project includes a complete, functional and aesthetic overhaul of the intersection:

• Fully rebuilding the existing intersection with concrete pavement.
• Adding dual left turn lanes in all directions.
• Adding right turn lanes with pedestrian refuge islands on College Avenue.
• Fully replacing the bridge on Horsetooth Road over Larimer Canal No. 2.
• Widening the College Avenue bridge over Larimer Canal No. 2.
• Installing new medians and a new signal system.
• Updating the landscaping and urban design of the area.

The Horsetooth-College intersection is one of the busiest in Fort Collins. The heavy congestion during peak traffic times and high number of left-turn crashes put it high on the list for safety and operational improvements, according to the City.

The Horsetooth and College Intersection Improvement Project began in mid-June and is on track for early November completion, according to the project website. 

Samantha Ye can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @samxye4.