Edgewater businesses rejoice as 25th Ave. road project finishes

EDGEWATER, Colo. (KDVR) — A nearly $850,000 road project is now complete after months of construction.

No one is more excited about the completion of the project than the employees and owners of restaurants and businesses all along West 25th Avenue in Edgewater.

“Opened in 2014 and we’ve seen a lot of change and really excited about this change,” said Dave Bergen, founder and president of Joyride Brewing Company.

For four months Bergen has been awaiting the reopening of West 25th Avenue. His business Joyride Brewing has played neighbor to a lengthy noisy road construction project.

“Many businesses along this stretch definitely had hardships during the time we were working on this project,” said Edgewater Mayor Steve Conklin. “We really appreciate their work and we appreciate everyone who kept coming to all the businesses and doing business with them while the project was going on.”

During that time, Bergen, like other business owners along the two-block stretch, saw a dip in business.

“Maybe 20 percent,” said Bergen. “Especially during the winter months when things are a little bit slower already. Things started going a little bit longer and extending into the spring which is typical prime patio season. To not have that additional seating out here, especially when people want to sit out here with their dogs, it really hurt on that aspect.”

Mayor Conklin held a ribbon cutting for the grand reopening Saturday morning.

Businesses were active until 9 p.m., with live music and food and drink specials.

“Thank you so much to everybody along this stretch we are open for business,” he said.

The city was awarded a Main Streets grant of $841,000 through the Colorado Department of Transportation to create patio spaces, wider sidewalks, more bike lanes and to make the one-way direction permanent.

“The pandemic kind of started us on this road. During the pandemic time, we turned this road into a one-way. We created some more patio space temporarily, and this was our opportunity to turn it into a permanent fix,” said Mayor Conklin.

It’s something Kaela McDonald who came out to see the new changes appreciates.

“I love it, it’s so much more open space and outside eating. You can have this whole entire street now for people to walk down,” said McDonald.

“It’s done we’re celebrating having the street back open. Downtown Edgewater is back in business baby,” Bergen said.

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