The FasTracks Northwest Rail corridor could get a head start under a plan that would build its first six and a half miles, between Denver Union Station and south Westminster at 72nd and Lowell Boulevard, as part of the construction of lines to the airport and Arvada. That will give RTD the capability of initiating rail transit service to southwest Adams County and Westminster sooner rather than later.

FasTracks construction of the new Sheridan Boulevard bridge is on schedule – good news for drivers through the two-lane work zone – and the structure may get its first girders next week. View a video of the work here and click on the story for an additional slide show.

Lakewood Edge reports that the public will encounter delays or detours at the Jefferson County government campus on Johnson Road in the coming weeks due to West Corridor light rail construction. Crews moved in Monday to begin operations that include excavation for retaining walls and the parking garage, underground utility relocations, station construction and roadwork. During construction, the bike path just south of the complex will be closed and pedestrians will be re-routed north on Johnson Road to Jefferson County Parkway.

The Regional Transportation District has established an official presence on the popular social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. These sites will allow RTD to disseminate news, special events, fun facts and additional information about the RTD base system and the FasTracks program and receive input.

If anyone had to go through a year like Pauletta Tonilas did last year, they might just want a nice vacation. But the truth is that this year will likely be even more intense for Tonilas, the public information manager for RTD’s FasTracks program. She was honored this week by the Colorado Chapter of the Women’s Transportation Seminar as its “Woman of the Year.”

U.S. District Judge John Kane today declined to issue an order that would have halted work that began this week on the conversion of Denver Union Station into the rail hub for the FasTracks network. At a hearing this morning, the judge denied a motion by the Colorado Rail Passenger Association for a temporary restraining order.

Crews for the Regional Transportation District are scheduled to close one lane in each direction of U.S. 36 between Church Ranch Boulevard and Wadsworth Parkway from 6 a.m. through 9 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 27, to pour the curbs on the deck of the pedestrian bridge.

A group of rail transit advocates asked a federal judge on Tuesday to stop FasTracks construction at Denver Union Station until the court can rule in a lawsuit seeking to overturn the environmental approval for the work.

View a slide show of the first girders placed for the light rail bridge over Wadsworth Boulevard in Lakewood.

The Regional Transportation District has put together a $122.6 million wish list of projects that are ready to go in the event Congress approves a second stimulus program for transportation infrastructure. Half of that total consists of four FasTracks pieces totaling $60.5 million.