Estes Park, CO is the headquarters of the Rocky Mountain National Park and being able to reach help in its remote hills can be a hazard for travelers. However, Crown Castle is about to wrap up a year-long cell tower project that will maintain a connection down the 20-mile stretch of US 36 between Estes Park and Lyons. As the Estes Park Trail Gazette notes, being able to use the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) right-of-way has made the challenging project run fairly smoothly.
Crown Castle and CDOT have worked together to coordinate resources and keep the installation moving. The project has not been without its tense moments as disruptions to the traffic patterns and an exposed gas line during the trenching phase both contributed to delays. After laying the fiber, the first of thirty 32-foot cell towers poles, or “nodes” was placed earlier this autumn. As part of the agreement between the two parties, CDOT will be able to use the new fiber system for cameras and other traffic-related uses, but the focus of the project has always been broadband outreach and safety, according to the Estes Park Trail Gazette.
“The project will provide dedicated First Responder Network service (FirstNet) through the canyon from Lyons to Estes Park, and will provide essential broadband coverage where today there is none,” confirmed an unnamed spokesperson from Crown Castle. “The cellular coverage is also a safety issue because there is no 911 coverage in that canyon,” added CDOT Communications Manager Jared Fiel.
Whether drivers are hoping to spot elk or visit the Stanley Hotel where Stephen King’s “The Shining” was filmed, a cell connection will allow them to call for help at any time, or just share their photos. Engineered for modest height and simple construction, the cell towers are designed to create little impact on the mountain views. “These nodes are on public land and there is very little control local entities, including CDOT, have except for safety, meaning we can have them protect them with guard rail, and stealth, meaning we have asked them to be painted brown to try to blend in to the natural environment,” Fiel noted.
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