Two-Month Closure of Pecos Street at I-70 Begins Today
DENVER – Today, June 24, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) closed Pecos Street at I-70 for approximately two months as part of a bridge replacement and interchange improvement project at I-70 and Pecos Street. The closure is necessary to allow crews to construct the roundabouts that will replace the existing signalized interchange, roll-in the new Pecos Street bridge over I-70 and demolish the existing bridge.
“When we designed this project, we looked at many innovative options for expediting the construction of this bridge and reconstructing the intersection,” said Tamara Hunter-Maurer, CDOT Project Manager. “By closing Pecos Street for two-months to complete the majority of the work, we will reduce the length of construction by approximately eight months, minimizing the overall impacts to motorists, businesses and the community.” During the closure of Pecos Street, additional signage and a detour route will be in place. Motorists are encouraged to use Federal Boulevard to cross I-70 during this closure or use I-76 as an alternate route. Access to all businesses north and south of I-70 will be maintained and additional signage will be installed to provide direction during the course of this closure. The eastbound I-70 on- and off-ramps will be open, as well as the westbound I-70 off-ramp to eastbound 48th Avenue. Halfway through the closure, on the weekend of July 19, I-70 will be completely closed between I-25 and Federal Boulevard to allow crews to demolish the existing Pecos Street bridge and roll-in the new 2,400-ton bridge approximately a quarter of a mile down the center of I-70 and into place at Pecos Street. I-70 will close starting on Friday, July 19 and will reopen by 5:30 a.m. Monday, July 22, once the bridge is secured and it is safe for motorists to travel on I-70. Kiewit Infrastructure is the contractor for the $21 million project that is scheduled to be complete by the end of November 2013. By replacing the Pecos Street bridge and adding roundabouts, the project is improving the safety of our infrastructure and providing for a more efficient transportation system that better supports economic and job growth. For more information about the project, please visit the project website at coloradodot.info/projects/pecosoveri70. To receive weekly email updates during the project, visit www.coloradodot.info and click on the green cell phone icon in the upper right corner. You can then sign up for various updates including “I-70 at Pecos” under projects.
