Kiewit Details Highway 82 Traffic and Housing Plans for Aspen Airport Renovation

What happens to the folks living off Highway 82 when a construction firm the size of Kiewit moves in?

That’s the question hanging over the Roaring Fork Valley as the international construction giant prepares to take the reins on the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport airfield renovation. It’s not just about concrete and asphalt. It’s about traffic patterns, housing availability, and whether a company known for big infrastructure projects can actually fit into a valley that feels small even when it isn’t.

Kiewit presented its plan to the Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners during a work session Tuesday, outlining a strategy that balances aggressive timelines with a surprising amount of community care. The firm has been selected as the construction manager at risk for the airfield work, which kicks off in 2016 and runs through 2017. That means they aren’t just watching the project; they’re on the hook for the budget and the schedule. If they miss the mark, they eat the cost.

The scope is massive. Kiewit will manage the taxiways, the runway, the de-icing pad, and the Owl Creek Road relocation. Meanwhile, the terminal modernization is still looking for its own construction manager, though work there is also slated to begin in 2017.

Picture the scene: heavy earthmoving equipment chewing up the tarmac while local residents worry about their morning commute. To mitigate that, Kiewit is implementing specific traffic controls. A new exit from Highway 82 for work trucks will be paired with a decision for those trucks to turn back onto 82 at the protected Owl Creek traffic light. It’s a simple change, but one designed to lower congestion and make it safer for drivers navigating the valley’s narrow arteries.

But here’s the thing though — the bigger challenge isn’t just keeping trucks off the road. It’s housing the people driving them.

Staff housing in the Roaring Fork Valley is notoriously difficult to come by. Kiewit knows this. So, rather than just dropping 80 to 150 workers into the mix and hoping for the best, the firm is actively reaching out to hotels and condominiums to secure long-term rentals. They aren’t looking for a weekend getaway; they want stable housing for a workforce that will likely operate on a 24/7 schedule during peak phases.

“We’re going to buy food from local restaurants,” says Ryan Konen, Kiewit’s construction manager. “We’re going to buy housing from local property owners.”

Konen, who has worked on airfields and interstates throughout Colorado, emphasized that this isn’t just charity. It’s economic alignment. By purchasing directly from local businesses, Kiewit aims to boost the local economy during the airport shutdown. Commissioner Patti Clapper nodded in agreement, noting that this approach supports the community’s desire to see short-term rentals in neighborhoods convert to long-term ones, easing the housing crunch for locals.

The firm’s approach to materials is equally grounded in local reality. Kiewit specializes in earthmoving and asphalt work, and they intend to use existing materials for the final design. That means taking the old asphalt from the runway and the Owl Creek relocation and repurposing it for the new asphalt and aggregate base. It’s a sustainability play that also cuts costs, using fill from earthmoving work to create berms rather than hauling dirt in and out of the valley.

Pete Remington, Kiewit’s project manager who was part of the 2007 airfield renovation, and Konen made sure to highlight their commitment to efficiency. They aren’t just here to pour concrete; they’re here to serve community interests. And that matters because, in a place where every inch of land is contested and every traffic jam is personal, the difference between a smooth renovation and a chaotic one comes down to details.

The enabling work phase starts this summer. It’s the quiet before the storm, the period where Kiewit sets the stage for the main event in 2017. Konen put it simply: “2026 is all about minimizing risk and setting this up on the right foot for next year.”

It’s a promise of order in a place that often feels like it’s expanding faster than its infrastructure can handle. As the trucks begin to roll out of that new Highway 82 exit, the valley will watch closely. They’ll see if the promises of housing and traffic management hold up, or if the reality of a major construction project looks a lot like the congestion they’re trying to avoid.