Drainage Work Reduces Lanes on US 285 Near Knox Court/Lowell Boulevard

February 18, 2011 - Denver Metro Colorado/CDOT Region 6 - DENVER— The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has begun some drainage work on US 285 near Knox Court/Lowell Boulevard as part of a larger safety improvement project on US 285 between Federal Boulevard and Kipling Parkway.

As a result of the work, eastbound US 285 has been temporarily reduced from three to two lanes at Knox Court/Lowell Boulevard for approximately two to three months and a similar lane reduction will begin on westbound US 285 in approximately three weeks.

“The drainage work requires us to remove pavement and work under the existing US 285 lanes,” said CDOT Project Engineer Kevin Sullivan.  “As a result, the lane reduction has to stay in place 24 hours a day, seven days a week for several months until we can complete the work and reconstruct the roadway.”

Major delays are expected while US 285 is in this temporary alignment 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.”

The entire $40.1 million design-build project will reconstruct US 285 and replace three bridges among other improvements.  In all, the project will:

  • Reconstruct approximately four miles of US 285 between Federal Boulevard and Kipling Parkway
  • Replace the bridges on US 285 over Wadsworth Boulevard, Pierce Street and Federal Boulevard
  • Add additional through lanes on Wadsworth Boulevard and reconstruct the US 285/Wadsworth Boulevard intersection
  • Rehabilitate the bridge decks on US 285 over Estes Street, Bear Creek, Raleigh Street and Sheridan Boulevard
  • Widen the inside shoulder of US 285 between Wadsworth Boulevard and Sheridan Boulevard
  • Add an additional left turn lane from southbound Knox Court to eastbound US 285
  • Construct drainage and water quality improvements to accommodate potential future widening or other construction projects

Concrete Express Inc. and Tsiouvaras, Simmons, and Holderness, Inc. is the design-build team for this project that will be completed by the end of July 2011.  For more information about this project, visit http://www.coloradodot.info/projects/us285wadsdb.  To sign up for e-mail updates, 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 US 285 Reconstruction Design-Build Project listed under “Projects.”