Arapahoe County Public Works and Development, having struggled to maintain infrastructure after years of deferred maintenance and inadequate funding, would need $124 million to get all of its assets into “good” condition or better, according to a 2024 county infrastructure report card released earlier this month. 

The county maintains $1.7 billion in roads, bridges and other transportation assets, according to the report card. Last year, public works officials issued more than 7,000 building permits, swept almost 5,000 miles of residential streets, used 8,000 gallons of paint for re-striping and fixed roads with almost 45,000 tons of asphalt, according to the report. 

In 2024, the budget to maintain county infrastructure was $13.7 million, and the county has millions of dollars of deferred maintenance. To bring every asset in the county’s report card to the “good” rating, public works would need another $124 million, the report said. 

“We are experiencing challenges in maintaining certain assets due to years of budgetary limitations,” according to the report card. “In the coming years, it is our hope that additional revenue generated by the passage of ballot measure 1A may help to move the needle on our infrastructure report card.”

Ballot measure 1A passed in November’s election, allowing the county to “de-Bruce” under the Colorado Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights — that is, permit county officials to eliminate TABOR’s revenue limit and use all the taxes it has collected for spending priorities. The phrase references the constitutional amendment’s author, Douglas Bruce.

Arapahoe County officials said they placed the measure on the ballot in November after years of insufficient tax revenue and increased demand for services. Its approval allows the county to retain roughly $74 million more tax revenue in some years.

However, county officials have said residents likely won’t see the impact of the additional funds until 2026, since the 2025 budget was already balanced.

According to the infrastructure report card, the county will have a lot of work on its hands with those funds, reporting its pavement assets, gravel roads, guardrails, durable markings and signs in “poor” condition.

Public Works maintains 376 center lane miles of paved roads that total to more than 7.2 million square yards of pavement. Last year, 40% of those roadways were in poor or very poor condition, a percentage “significantly higher” than what it should be, the report said.

“The number of roads rated at poor-very poor condition has been steadily increasing due to funding constraints,” the report said.

The county also maintains 183 center lane miles of gravel roads, which get routine maintenance from a road graver. Like pavement roads, 40% of gravel roads are in poor or very poor condition, the report said.

Public works also maintains 14,000 signs in the county, and each sign has a standard replacement schedule to meet requirements for reflectivity, but the county has not been able to meet that standard due to budget constraints.

Additionally, durable markings — which include bike lanes, stop bars and crosswalks — are in poor condition, with about 20% not visible or not properly functioning. 

Bridges and snow fences in the county are in fair condition, according to the report. The Colorado Department of Transportation inspects all bridge structures every two years, and put the county’s bridge health index slightly below its target. 

The county also uses snow fences to keep snow off roads. While the county is keeping its current snow fences in working condition, it has not had the funding to put up any new ones, according to the report. 

Traffic signals and pavement lane markings, meanwhile, are in good condition, the report shows. There are 28 traffic signals across the county maintained by Public Works, and over 8,000 gallons of paint are used every year to keep pavement markings in good shape. 

Going into 2025, the report said, the county’s theme is “It Starts with Us.”

“(The theme) reinforces our commitment to providing the highest level of service possible within the resources we have available,” according to the report card. 

The full 2024 infrastructure report card can be viewed on the county’s website.