Bridge Deck Rehabilitation to Cause Delays on Westbound I-70 Near Ward Road This Weekend

April 22, 2011 - TRAFFIC ADVISORY - Denver Metro Colorado/CDOT Region 6 - DENVER—Starting at 9 p.m. on Friday, April 22nd and continuing through 5:30 a.m. on Monday, April 25th, weather permitting, the right lane of westbound I-70 at Ward Road as well as the on-ramp from Ward Road to westbound I-70 will be closed for bridge deck rehabilitation.

Motorists needing access to I-70 can take Ward Road south to 44^th Avenue and 44^th Avenue west to Youngfield Street. Travel south on Youngfield Street to 32^nd Avenue where access to westbound I-70 is available.

“Last week, we started an eight-week process to rehabilitate the eastbound and westbound I-70 bridges over Ward Road and 44^th Avenue,” said CDOT Project Engineer Steve Spencer. “We have completed the work on half of the westbound bridge over I-70 and will complete the second half this weekend.”

The bridge deck rehabilitation consists of rotomilling the existing asphalt mat, removing the deteriorated concrete, replacing the bridge deck with new concrete, paving, and striping.

Once the work is completed on westbound I-70 over Ward Road, crews will begin work on westbound I-70 over 44^th Avenue. Once the work is complete on westbound I-70, crews will work on eastbound I-70 over 44^th Avenue and then move to eastbound I-70 over Ward Road. It is expected to take two weekends to complete one direction of one bridge, for a total of eight weekends.

During the weekend work, major delays are expected and alternate routes are strongly advised. The speed limit will be reduced to 55 during work hours only. Most fines for infractions that occur in the work zone will be doubled. CDOT would like to remind motorists to plan ahead, obey all construction signs and flaggers and “Slow for the Cone Zone.”

The bridge deck rehabilitation is part of an interchange improvement at I-70 and Ward Road that reconstructed the eastbound I-70 ramps at 44^th Avenue/Ward Road to increase merge distance. The north side of 44^th Avenue was also widened to accommodate two left turn lanes from eastbound 44^th Avenue to I-70 as well as one full continuous merge lane on 44^th Avenue between the I-70 off-ramp and Ward Road. The interchange improvements are complete, but the bridge deck rehabilitation work remains as well as some paving on I-70.

Asphalt Paving Co. is the contractor for this $8.5 million project scheduled to be complete by the end of July 2011.