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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4-203.L Traffic AnalysisArticle 4-203.L Traffic Study Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc K19NE Storage Facility (Laydown Yard) OA Project No. 014-2797 BASIC TRAFFIC ANALYSIS E N CANA OIL & GAS K19NE LAYDOWN YARD GARFIELD COUNTY, COLORADO (AOLSSON ASSOCIATES OA Project No. 014-2797 January 2015 760 Horizon Dr., Suite 102 1 Grand Junction, CO 81506 1 970.263.7800 1 Fax 970.263.745, K19NE Laydown Yard January 2015 Encana Oil & Gas INTRODUCTION & OBJECTIVE This document summarizes findings of a Basic Traffic Analysis performed for the Encana Oil & Gas K19NE Laydown Yard. The current permitted use of the site is as a well pad. Although the site is also being used for some equipment storage today, the laydown yard is proposed to be permitted as an additional use on the property. The laydown yard will be used to store equipment and material associated with natural gas operations. It is expected that the lifespan of the site will be approximately 30 years. The site is approximately one mile south of the Garfield County Regional Airport. The facility is located on Lot 3 of Section 19, Township 6 South, Range 92 West of the 6th Principal Meridian in unincorporated Garfield County. The subject site encompasses approximately 5.17 acres. The property is owned and operated by Encana Oil & Gas. The objective of this analysis is to provide traffic data for the additional land use, review the existing road network, and provide traffic projections for public roads impacted by site traffic. EXISTING ROAD NETWORK Regional trips to this facility will use the 1-70 exit near the Garfield County Regional Airport (Exit 94). Vehicles traveling to the site will drive south for approximately 4 miles along CR 315 to the intersection of CR 315 & CR 333 and make a right turn. They would then travel approximately 2.8 miles to the private access road where they would turn right to access the site. It should be noted that the private access drive is shared with a well pad. Table 1 tabulates roadway geometry and characteristics for the county roads used by vehicles visiting this site. An alternate route is to travel west along CR 346 (Rifle -Silt Rd) for approximately 2 miles to CR 352. Vehicles will then turn east onto CR 352 (Airport Road) and travel approximately 1.3 miles to CR 333 (Hunter Mesa Rd). Vehicles will then turn south onto CR 333 and travel approximately 0.8 miles to a private access road, turn left, and drive 0.5 miles to access the site. Both routes follow Garfield County preferred haul routes. Table 1: Roadway Geometry and Characteristics Roadway Lanes Road Width Roadway Type Speed Limit Condition Year of Impmt. Functional Classification CR 352 2 40' Asphalt 35 mph Good ('02) 2004 Minor Collector CR 333 2 16' Gravel 35 mph Fair ('02) - Local CR 346 2 24' Asphalt 35 mph Good ('02) 2005 Minor Collector CR 315 2 24' Asphalt 35 mph Good ('05) 2005 Minor Collector Basic Traffic Analysis Page 1 K19NE Laydown Yard January 2015 Encana Oil & Gas BACKGROUND TRAFFIC Background traffic volumes were obtained from the Garfield County Road & Bridge department. The count data included 2014 counts at all roadways planned to be used by traffic traveling to the K19NE Laydown Yard. The background traffic volumes are shown in Table 2 below. Table 2: Background Traffic Roadway 2014 CR 352 975 CR 333 125 CR 346 755 CR 315 805 TRIP GENERATION AND 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 these. To estimate trips expected for this site, information was gathered regarding the expected traffic based on the existing operations. Existing vehicle activities during daily operations consist of one (1) pickup truck (two trips per day) for daily well inspections. Based on the new use of the site, it is expected that an additional two trips will visit the site daily. The site may also experience one additional heavy truck every two months. The pickup and heavy truck trips related to the storage use will store or remove materials that will be used in daily operations or during drilling and completing wells in the area. The majority of vehicles accessing this facility will originate from other activities in the immediate area. Many of the existing trips to this site occurring over the public road system are associated with the daily monitoring of the site and are within background traffic projections. The same personnel, in fact, monitor multiple sites on a daily basis. The trips associated with the storage use will also originate from the surrounding natural gas operations in the general area. They would include existing trips that haul materials and equipment in and out of the greater field. These are trips that would now be contained within the general area. Aside from public roads in the immediate vicinity of the site, the storage use is not expected to generate additional traffic and has the potential to reduce traffic on some roadways by providing a place for extra materials and equipment that would otherwise be hauled in or out of the larger field. Basic Traffic Analysis Page 2 K19NE Laydown Yard January 2015 Encana Oil & Gas ROADWAY ANALYSIS Existing Parcel Current land use on the subject parcel is natural gas development. The majority of existing traffic on area county roads south of the airport is related to natural gas development activities and very limited agricultural activities. Roadways near the Garfield County Regional Airport including CR 346, CR 352, and portions of CR 315 also serve the airport as well as other municipal uses like the Colorado Mountain College, Garfield County Sheriff and Road & Bridge offices, and the Tri- State Generation and Transmission generating station. State Highway Crossings and Access There are no state highway crossings along the haul routes. Similarly, there will be no access to the site from a state highway. Intersection of CR 352 & CR 346 The intersection of CR 352 & CR 346 is a "T" intersection with CR 346 as the stop -controlled minor approach. Sight distance as measured from the stop sign on CR 346 is adequate looking east and west. There is a right -turn deceleration lane leading into a free right (yield -controlled) for the westbound traffic along CR 352. There is also a left -turn deceleration lane for eastbound traffic on CR 352. Southbound CR 346 has a two-lane approach at this intersection. It is not expected site traffic will negatively impact intersection operations. Intersection of CR 352 & CR 333 The intersection of CR 352 & CR 333 is a "T" intersection with CR 333 as the stop -controlled minor approach. Sight distance as measured from the stop sign on CR 333 is adequate looking east and west. There are left -turn deceleration lanes for traffic on CR 352. It should be noted that trucks are not permitted along CR 352 to the east of this intersection. It is not expected site traffic will negatively impact intersection operations. Intersection of CR 315 & CR 346 The intersection of CR 315 & CR 346 is a four leg intersection with CR 346 as the stop -controlled minor approach. Sight distance as measured from the stop sign on CR 346 is adequate looking north and south. The Exit 94 1-70 ramp terminal is located approximately 200 feet north of this intersection. Sight distance photos were taken at the stop -controlled legs of this intersection and can be seen at the end of this document. It is not expected site traffic will negatively impact intersection operations. Basic Traffic Analysis Page 3 K19NE Laydown Yard January 2015 Encana Oil & Gas Intersection of CR 315 & CR 333 The intersection of CR 315 & CR 333 is a "T" intersection with CR 333 as the stop -controlled minor approach. Sight distance as measured from the stop sign on CR 333 is adequate looking north and south along CR 315. It is not expected site traffic will negatively impact intersection operations. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the expected trip generation rates discussed above, the increase in average daily traffic is not expected to be significant on roads generally used by the public. The county roads discussed will see only a minor increase in traffic. The total traffic volumes will remain very low and can be accommodated by the existing roadways. The addition of traffic generated by the proposed updated site use does not increase existing volumes to levels required for State or County permits. Attachments Vicinity Map and Haul Routes Map Sight Distance Photos Basic Traffic Analysis Page 4 LEGEND - Site Location - Preferred Haul Route - Alternative Haul Route X,XXX - Background ADT Encana K19 Laydown Yard Garfield County, CO OLSSON ® Vicinity Map and Haul Routes ASSOCIATES FIGURE 1 O\OLSSON ASSOCIATES Encana K19 Laydown Yard — Site Roadway Photos OA #14-2797 t PHOTO 1: West leg looking north onto County Road 315 from County Road 346. PHOTO 2: West leg looking south onto County Road 315 from County Road 346.