Pipe Work to Close I-25 Near Alameda Avenue This Week

To complete the work, motorists can expect the following lane closures October 18^th through October 21^st, weather permitting:

• Monday, October 18^th: One lane of southbound I-25 between approximately 6^th Avenue and Alameda Avenue will be closed starting at 8 p.m. with a second lane closing at 9 p.m. All lanes of southbound I-25 will close at 11 p.m. and will reopen by 5:30 a.m. the next day.
• Tuesday, October 19^th: One lane of northbound and southbound I-25 between approximately Broadway and 6^th Avenue will be closed starting at 8 p.m. with a second lane closing at 9 p.m. All lanes of northbound and southbound I-25 will close at 11 p.m. and will reopen by 5:30 a.m. the next day.
• Wednesday, October 20^th and Thursday, October 21^st: One lane of northbound I-25 between approximately Broadway and Alameda Avenue will be closed starting at 8 p.m. with a second lane closing at 9 p.m. All lanes of northbound I-25 will close at 11 p.m. and will reopen by 5:30 a.m. the next day.

During the full closures, detour routes will be in place:

• Northbound Detour Route: Motorists on northbound I-25 will exit onto Broadway and access Lincoln Avenue north to 6^th Avenue where access to northbound I-25 is available.
• Southbound Detour Route:  Motorists on southbound I-25 will use the on and off-ramps at Alameda Avenue as a detour route; however, this will reduce I-25 to one lane and major delays are expected.  Alternative Detour Route: Due to the extensive backups predicted on southbound I-25, CDOT strongly encourages motorists exit onto 6^th Avenue where they can take Broadway to I-25 or Federal Boulevard south to Mississippi Avenue and then Mississippi Avenue east to Broadway where access to southbound I-25 is available.

In addition to the pipe work, motorists should be aware of a new temporary traffic realignment on Alameda Avenue over I-25. In this new configuration, westbound Alameda Avenue has been shifted to the north onto the new northern third of the bridge while eastbound Alameda Avenue remains in its normal configuration.

“We recently completed the northern portion of the new bridge and realigned traffic to the north to accommodate the demolition and construction of the middle portion,” said CDOT Project Engineer Terrie McKinney.  “Alameda Avenue will remain in this temporary configuration for approximately four to five months while we construct this portion of the new bridge.”

In the current temporary alignment, left turns are prohibited on westbound Alameda Avenue at Kalamath Street/Santa Fe Drive and at South Platte River Drive.  Kalamath Street/Santa Fe Drive Detour: Motorists needing access to southbound Kalamath Street/Santa Fe Drive from westbound Alameda Avenue can take Santa Fe Drive north to Cedar Avenue and take a left.  Take Cedar Avenue west to Kalamath Street and turn left.  South Platte River Drive Detour: Motorists needing access to South Platte River Drive from westbound Alameda Avenue can take a right on Lipan Avenue and take Lipan Avenue north to South Platte River Drive.

Major delays are expected on eastbound and westbound Alameda Avenue throughout much of the project and alternate routes are strongly advised.  CDOT would like to remind motorists to obey all construction signs and flaggers and to “Slow for the Cone Zone.” Most fines for infractions that occur in the work zone will be doubled.

For e-mail updates on the project, visit www.coloradodot.info and click on the icon in the upper right-hand corner.  The link will take you to a list of items you can subscribe to including the I-25/Alameda Avenue project listed under “Projects.”

This work is part of a $37.4 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) project that will replace the Alameda Avenue bridge over I-25 with one that is wider to accommodate an additional lane in each direction.  The project will also construct a longer acceleration ramp from to Kalamath Street to northbound I-25, widen I-25 under Alameda Avenue for wider shoulders and improve drainage to alleviate the flooding that often occurs in the area.

Jalisco International, Inc. of Commerce City, CO is the contactor for this project scheduled to be complete by the end of September 2012.

In all, Colorado will receive nearly $400 million from the Recovery Act for highway projects and $121 million for transit projects.  For more information about how Colorado is putting the recovery act to work, visit www.colorado.gov/recovery. For a list of CDOT’s Recovery Act projects, visit http://www.coloradodot.info/projects/arra.