HomeMy WebLinkAbout1.08 Traffic Study.pdf826 21 ½ Road | Grand Junction, CO 81505 | TEL 970.263.7800 | FAX 970.263.7456 Traffic Study Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc Divide Road Produced Water Treatment Facility OA Project No. 012-0400
Basic Traffic Analysis Page 1 INTRODUCTION & OBJECTIVE This Traffic Analysis summarizes the impacts associated with the proposed Divide Road Water Treatment Facility (DRWTF). DRWTF will
be accessed via Garfield County Road 215 (Parachute Creek Road) to Encana’s North Parachute Ranch gate, and then via a private road network. No new or improved accesses onto a County
or State roadway will be required or are being proposed. The site is approximately 16 miles northwest of the Town of Parachute. DRWTF will be constructed, operated, and reclaimed in
three phases. These phases include: • Facility Construction (10-11 months) • Operation (20 years) • Reclamation (21 days) EXISTING NETWORK DRWTF will be accessed from County Road 215
and an existing private roadway. According to the guidelines in the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) State Highway Access Code, this road is classified as a Rural Highway
(R-B). CR 215 is a two lane asphalt roadway with gravel shoulders. The road has a posted speed limit of 35 mph. TRAFFIC PROJECTIONS Given the lack of data regarding traffic growth for
this area, a conservative growth rate of 3% was assumed. This rate was applied to the existing counts to obtain background traffic for the forecast years of 2013 and 2033. These planning
horizon years were chosen as they correspond with the construction and reclamation phases, respectively. Due to the anticipated low traffic volumes, the lifespan of the DRWTF will have
minimal impact, if any, to the existing road system. This facility is being constructed to allow collection, storage and distribution of produced water and recycling of that water for
well completion activities in the nearby area. This will result in an overall reduction in traffic along CR 215 by reducing the number of trucks needed to haul water to and from the
area surrounding the proposed water facility to locations that are now being used for water supply and water disposal. Heavy vehicles will only be utilized for construction, condensate
collection, repairs, and reclamation. Light vehicles will visit the site routinely to insure the DRWTF is operating safely. Approximately 10 trucks a month will visit the site each month
to remove condensate.
Basic Traffic Analysis Page 2 TRIP GENERATION/DISTRIBUTION Trip generation is generally determined using rates found in the ITE Trip Generation manual. Rates from this publication are
applied to values related to the size of the proposed site to estimate the trips expected to enter and exit the site. In this case, no rates are provided for facilities similar to this
use. To estimate trips expected for this site, information was gathered regarding the expected traffic based on previous projects similar to this one. The following table summarizes
the expected average and maximum trips for each phase. Table 1: Trip Generation – Encana Divide Road Water Treatment Facility Phase Average Trips/Day Maximum Trips/Day Percent Trucks
Total Trips/Phase Phase Duration Construction – Site Preparation Phase 5 10 33% 1000-2000 10-11 months Operation <2 2 25% 9700 20 years Reclamation 2 4 50 % 42-84 21 days Note that the
estimated lifespan of the site is expected to be approximately 20 years. AUXILIARY LANE ANALYSIS As defined in the Garfield County Road Inventory Report, CR 215’s Functional Classification
is Local, set by Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). With this classification, auxiliary lanes are required for left turns greater
than 10 vehicles per hour (vph) and right turns greater than 25 vph during the peak hour. Given the current traffic volumes on CR 215, the proposed Water Treatment Facility does not
warrant auxiliary lanes.
Basic Traffic Analysis Page 3 EXISTING PARCELS Current land uses on the surrounding parcels are primarily natural gas development with rural residential and agricultural use. The majority
of existing traffic is related to natural gas development activities. An existing two-track roadway exists which will primarily serve the existing site. No new access to state highways
or railroad crossings will be required. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the expected trip generation rates discussed above, the increase in average daily traffic is not expected to be significant.
The worst-case scenario during operation of the facility is that there would be a minimal, short-term increase in truck traffic. The expected scenario would be a decrease in water hauling
truck traffic along CR-215. Based on the results of the analysis, no mitigation is recommended for the DRWTF. The additional traffic from the DRWTF will not significantly increase the
existing low levels of traffic. Based on this analysis, no roadway improvements or turn lanes are anticipated to be required to support this project.