A minor widening project transformed the 21st Street and Utica Avenue intersection from a major bottleneck to a smooth-flowing intersection. The widening project, which was funded by the 1977 bond issue, involved widening 21st Street for left-turn lanes, which eliminated a major bottleneck. Prior to the project, traffic could not turn left off of 21st Street onto a major street between Lewis Avenue and Riverside/Boulder drives, a distance of about two miles. The west approach required more work than the east approach, as it was a four-lane curb-to-curb road. The east approach was four lanes with a narrow median containing a chainlink fence that had bushes growing over it. The street was expanded to the south, with an entire lane being added on the west approach. New traffic signals also were installed at the intersection. To the left is St. John's Hospital, with the 21st Street Parkade in the background. Utica Square shopping center is on the southeast corner. Photo taken November 1983.
