FRASER —The town is seeking to widen U.S. Highway 40 as well as install two traffic signals on the southern end of the town’s border with Winter Park.

A request for funding is in to the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Responsible Acceleration of Maintenance and Partnerships, or RAMP program.

The project seeks to tie in with the Town of Winter Park’s recent improvements to the north portal of the town by widening Highway 40 to four lanes in the half-mile stretch after the Foundry, as well as install two traffic lights at the First Street and Rendezvous Road intersections. Under the project, the highway would taper down to two lanes north of the fire station’s emergency traffic signal.

The project would help to mitigate “significant traffic safety and congestion problems,” as well as add capacity to the stretch of highway, according to documents related to the project.

The town recently requested and received an extension to CDOT’s deadline to submit the related documents and a letter of financial commitment.

“The Town of Fraser remains committed to this project. However, we are still working on cost allocations with our funding partners,” said a letter requesting the extension from the Town of Fraser dated Jan. 6. “In addition to affecting our financial commitment letter, these discussions may affect the scope and budget of our project.”

The funding from CDOT would help the town pay for the widening of the highway, while funding from the Rendezvous and Grand Park developments would pay for the traffic signals, according to Fraser Town Manager Jeff Durbin.

The total cost of the project is estimated to be just above $2.1 million, with about $1.5 million being provided by the RAMP program and $682,636 in funding coming from the town and Rendezvous and Grand Park.

If the project is approved for CDOT funding, the town would then have to hash out the details of an intergovernmental agreement with the state in order to continue with the planning and implementation of the project, no simple task that involves some pretty intense work, according to Durbin.

If all goes as planned, the town could see the construction for the project starting as early as August of 2014, according to the preliminary project schedule from CDOT.

The town started the process of applying for RAMP funding in mid-2013 and has since been progressing steadily, according to Durbin.

The preliminary application for the project has been approved by CDOT and now the town is seeking to have the final application approved following its submittal of the required documents and letter of financial commitment for the project.

Reid Tulley can be reached at 970-887-3334