On Tuesday, December second, a construction-related road closure caused major delays for students and staff arriving at Heritage High School. One of the school’s two main entrances was closed, forcing drivers to find alternate routes during the busy morning rush. Westbound Geddes Avenue was shut down from early in the morning until around 2 p.m., catching many people off guard.
The closure happened because construction crews were using a large crane in the street to lower supplies into a project site near Runyon Elementary. The work was planned, but the timing created confusion for families trying to get to school. Cars backed up through nearby neighborhoods as drivers tried to turn around, cut through side streets, or find any open route that would still get them to campus on time.
For many students, the extra traffic meant being late to their first class, even if they left home at their usual time. Some ended up only a few minutes behind schedule, while others missed a bigger portion of the period. With so many people using only one entrance, the line of cars stretched much longer than normal.
One student, Robbie Johnson, explained the long detour he had to take because of the closure. “I come from over by Arapahoe, and then when I ran into the construction, I had to go out of the neighborhood and then go on Mineral and enter the neighborhood from jackass hill and then i was 6 or 7 minutes late.” His experience reflected what many others faced as they tried to navigate the unexpected change.
School officials reminded students and parents to allow extra travel time whenever construction is scheduled near campus. With more road work planned throughout the year, they said delays like this may happen again, and being prepared can help reduce stress during the morning commute.