Dirt has been turned at the groundbreaking ceremony and the ramp-up for construction has begun, but the FasTracks Southeast Rail Extension is not the only project that will be creating construction zones in and around the city of Lone Tree this summer and for the next few years.

Here is a look at some of the projects:

Lincoln Avenue pedestrian bridge

Construction of the pedestrian bridge spanning Lincoln Avenue near the Heritage Hills intersection will begin in August and will involve a few night closures.

The city views the area as a “major pedestrian barrier,” and the bridge will connect two major trail systems. The Lone Tree Department of Public Works estimates that the pedestrian bridge will accommodate around 170 crossings per day.

When completed, the bridge is expected to decrease traffic congestion on Lincoln Avenue due to improved red-light times. The total price for the pedestrian bridge is $7 million.

Signal timing

An additional but less obvious form of traffic improvement scheduled for this summer is a combined project by the City of Lone Tree and Douglas County to improve traffic flows by retiming traffic lights.

According to John Cotton, director of public works for the City of Lone Tree, the work will include adjusting the plans on about 25 traffic signals along Lincoln Avenue between Quebec and First Street and along Yosemite Street between County Line and Kimmer.

Cotton said that a traffic study will help engineers set between four to five “plans” for each signal based on days of the week and time of day.

When the programing is completed this fall, a vehicle traveling the speed limit should, ideally, be able to navigate through the area without stopping at a red light. Signal timing is subject to the number of left turns and the number of pedestrian crossings, which decrease green light times.

County Line Road

More work zones are planned for 2017 through 2018. A study has been completed for improvements to County Line Road from Chester Street to Inverness Parkway, which recommends three major changes intended to alleviate congestion along the route.

Three intersection changes include modifications to Park Meadows Center Drive, which adds a direct access lane to southbound I-25 from the Park Meadows mall, enlarging the mall entrance west of P.F. Chang's, and a completely redesigned intersection that simplifies traffic flows at Inverness Parkway, Inverness Drive East and Inverness Drive West.

The total cost for the improvements are estimated at between $8 million and $8.5 million.

Light rail extension

Already under way this spring is a 2.3-mile extension of light rail south of the Lincoln Station to RidgeGate Parkway in Lone Tree, adding three new stations at Sky Ridge Avenue, the future Lone Tree City Center, and an end of the line station at RidgeGate Parkway. The project involves three major bridge projects spanning Lincoln Avenue, I-25 and RidgeGate Parkway.

The $207 million Southeast Rail Extension is part of the FasTracks plan approved by Colorado voters in 2004. Construction extends the existing Southeast Line 2.3 miles from Lincoln Station and will cost around $90 million per mile.

Planned Lone Tree road construction projects for 2016:

● C-470 from I-25 to Wadsworth Parkway — July through 2020

($318 million)

● Lincoln Avenue pedestrian bridge ($7 million)

● RTD FasTracks Southeast Rail Extension — May through 2019 ($207 million)

● Stoplight timing, Lincoln Avenue and Yosemite Street ($70,000)

● Resurfacing portions of South Park Meadows Center Drive — lane closures will begin in June and July ($300,000)

● Yosemite turn lane at Park Meadows Drive, adding new, designated right-turn lane from northbound Yosemite to eastbound Park Meadows Drive — beginning late July

● Improvements to the Lincoln Avenue and Heritage Hills intersection to add a second left-hand turn lane from northbound Heritage Hills to eastbound Lincoln Avenue — beginning late July or early August

● Storm sewer improvements along Timberline Road — summer

● Work on the storm sewer at Acres Green Drive and Park Meadows Drive intersection — summer

● Lincoln Avenue panel replacement east of I-25 — late summer

● (Planned for 2017-18) County Line Road improvements ($7 million)