Primary Proposal: Elevating the North lane of the Camino Del Rio above grade while dropping the South lane below grade from the Double Tree Hotel 4-6 blocks north towards the main avenue bridge.
Current Status: Hwy 550 dominates and divides Durango, both physically and psychologically, denying an easily obtainable access from the city’s historic center to the beautiful east side of the Animas River.

Proposal:
- Elevating a portion of Camino Del Rio from HWY 550 West to Main Street Bridge (4-8 blocks).
-South bound traffic would descend below grade while North bound traffic would ascend above grade
- Creating Underground Parking in order to comply with the growth of Durango’s population.

Potential Results: - The Camino Del Rio (HWY 550) becomes secondary to the pedestrian.

-The pedestrian’s transition from Durango’s city center to the Animas River is now safe, easy-going, and catered to the pedestrians/bikers with a maximum allowable speed set at 15 mph.

- This pedestrian-oriented realm of the city works interdependently with Main Street and the Historic city center, allowing for the growth of mixed use, commercial, and residential spaces.
- Green space can now become more heavily incorporated into the existing conditions.

- A balance and fluidity can now run throughout Durango rather than having competing forces between the city’s largest assets.

- Those traveling through Durango can now transition through the city unhampered rather than competing with stop-lights and pedestrian traffic.


Durango is quickly advancing on both an economic and urbanistic level, and the future growth of the city is inevitable. Therefore, conscious and careful planning for such change is essential for the success of the city as one of the country’s most desirable locations/destinations. Currently, one of the largest issues that exist within the urban fabric of Durango is the divide, both physical and psychological, between the historic city core and the Animas River. Preventing a casual or undisturbed transition from the city center to the Animas, the Camino Del Rio acts as a physical divide between these two areas due to the four lanes of traffic traveling at speeds of 45-55 mph.

The Animas River and Durango’s historic city center are the two primary elements that provide the city with its rich substance. Yet accessing the river from the Main Street area is anything but easy, as one must compete with crossing a highway. With all of the activities that the Animas generates, along with the beautiful green space and vegetation that accompanies it, this river should gently bleed into the city allowing the transition from the river to the city center, or vise versa, to become relaxed and enjoyable. Two themes that Durango certainly strives to embrace and articulate, especially being driven by tourism, are relaxed and enjoyable.

The proposal for this urban dilemma consists of re-thinking the way in which the Camino Del Rio is oriented by elevating the North bound traffic above grade and directing the South-bound traffic below grade from 550 West to the Main Street Bridge. This narrow proposal generates a win-win situation for the pedestrians of Durango and those traveling on the Camino Del Rio. The pedestrians are now provided with an easy and comfortable transition from the city center to the Animas while the Durango “thru traffic” can now travel through the area unhampered by stop lights and other frequent obstacles.

A significant amount of underground parking would be created, which also allows the pedestrian to again take the foreground while insisting that vehicles and vehicular dilemmas become secondary to a pedestrian-oriented area. Parking is a key component, and an inevitable condition, that needs to be dealt with in planning for the growth of Durango. Yet by creating underground parking, safe, comfortable and enjoyable conditions can still exist rather than becoming overly saturated by vehicles.

Durango thrives off of the transition of people: the ability for people to walk, bike, carry their raft or take their dogs wherever they please. The future growth and success of this city is therefore dependent on not only embracing this reality, but also enhancing it. This is why 55 mph traffic can no longer divide the city from its greatest asset, the Animas. This is why parking and vehicles, although necessary constituents, need to exist yet not dominate. By “hiding” such constituents underground, the true essence of the city (a healthy, active, alive city based on the great outdoors) can continue to prevail.

Creating a language between downtown Durango and the Animas River through proper planning and a mixed-use corridor is vital for the city’s future growth. This language will only magnify all of the existing assets of Durango, allowing desirable conditions to be thread throughout the city. It is important for us to develop a strategy for the future of Durango’s urban fabric without delay. This strategy will in turn only help to strengthen our daily lives and the lives of those who join us.
Madeen Architecture and Construction is a licensed architectural firm located in Durango, Colorado. This firm prides itself on alternative, natural, environmental architecture that aims at reestablishing a connection between humans and their natural surroundings. The Madeen Architecture approach is based on sustainable architecture that is instinctive, hand-crafted and ecological. Style and material solutions are of the site, based on local/regional sources while landscape, climate, and function generate the primary design.