Weekend closures of I-25 Begin Tonight

August 8, 2014 - Denver Metro Colorado/CDOT Region 1 - DENVER – The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is moving forward with the I-25 Gap Lane Project to deliver a much-needed improvement to northbound I-25 between Santa Fe Drive and the US 6 interchange. Essentially, crews will create a fourth through lane on northbound I-25 between Santa Fe Drive and US 6.

Adding a fourth lane in this area requires a significant amount of work this weekend, Aug. 8-11. To minimize inconvenience to the traveling public, crews will complete this work in two phases, enabling the highway to remain open during the day Saturday.

The highway will initially close Friday at 10 p.m. and remain closed until 8 a.m. Saturday. The roadway will remain open throughout the day on Saturday. Then, Saturday night at 10 p.m., both directions of I-25 will close again, reopening by 5 a.m. Monday. Crews will begin setting closures approximately one hour before the interstate closes completely.

During these full closures of I-25, crews will restripe and shift northbound lanes and repave the highway to create the new northbound through lane, consolidating over one month’s work into one weekend.

Specifically, crews will:

  • Place 7,000 tons of asphalt on I-25, repaving both directions between Santa Fe and US 6

  • Restripe both directions of I-25 between Santa Fe Drive and US 6

    • The final lanes will be 11 feet wide

  • Demolish the north half of the US 6 bridge over I-25

  • Relocate three storm sewer lines across southbound I-25

  • Set eight, 90-foot-long girders for the northbound I-25 to westbound US 6 off-ramp bridge

    • Each girder weighs about 65,000 lbs.

  • Close I-25 for 41 hours total:

    • 10 hours Friday night into Saturday morning for girder placement

    • 31 hours from Saturday night into Monday morning for the bulk of I-25 Gap Lane Project work

“We can’t emphasize this strongly enough: avoid this area of I-25 during these closures if at all possible,” said Kevin Sullivan, CDOT project director. “We expect extensive backups, prolonged travel delays and excessive traffic congestion if traffic numbers reach normal Sunday volumes.”

CDOT implores regional through traffic to avoid the area altogether by using I-225, I-70, US 285, C-470,
E-470 or any other alternate route.

“RTD’s light rail service is another option if you need to get downtown,” Sullivan continued. “Realistically, the best bet is to cross I-25 off the list for that weekend and use alternative modes of transportation or alternate routes.”

While crews will narrow all lanes to 11 feet and shoulders in both directions of I-25 to make room for this additional northbound lane, the benefits outweigh this tradeoff. When I-25 reopens Monday morning, northbound drivers will be able to use this additional lane to help improve traffic flow. Although this will not eliminate traffic congestion in this area, it will certainly be an improvement and will increase mobility through this heavily traveled stretch of highway.

Due to ongoing US 6 Bridges Project work, drivers will not realize the full benefits of the I-25 Gap Lane Project until the completion of the northbound I-25 off-ramp flyover bridge to westbound US 6, currently scheduled for early 2015.

The I-25 Gap Lane Project only provides a temporary fix to traffic congestion in this area, as the long-term solution will not come until funding is available to make permanent improvements to I-25 between Alameda and US 6.

TRAVEL IMPACTS: Local detour routes for the full I-25 closure include the following:

Northbound I-25 will detour to northbound Santa Fe Drive, continue north to 8th Avenue, west on 8th Avenue to Kalamath Street, and south on Kalamath Street to westbound US 6 to reconnect with northbound I-25.

Southbound I-25 will detour west on US 6 to Federal Boulevard, south on Federal Boulevard to 5th Avenue to merge onto eastbound US 6, and east on US 6 to reconnect with southbound I-25. There could also be delays along eastbound US 6 near I-25 with additional traffic following this detour route.

Northbound Santa Fe Drive: In conjunction with this closure, northbound Santa Fe Drive will close just south of I-25 over the weekend, with traffic detoured on Mississippi Avenue to northbound Broadway and eventually Lincoln Street. Access to businesses along Santa Fe Drive will be available via Alameda Avenue. Detour signage will guide commuters through the area.

But WAIT…There’s more!

Beginning on Friday at 9 p.m. through Monday at 5 a.m., CDOT will close the left lane of southbound I-25 between 84th Avenue and Thornton Parkway. Due to the rain over the past week, work had to be pushed back and the closure has been rescheduled for the weekend of August 8. Because of the aggressive scheduling for this portion of the project is important that this work be completed quickly. Delaying the work by only one weekend is crucial to keep the project on track for completion.

The I-25 North Express Lanes Project which is adding one HOV/tolled Express Lane in each direction of I-25 beginning at 120th Avenue that will connect with the existing I-25 Express Lanes system at US 36 and I-25 is in the midst of a 50 day work period that will accommodate the lowering of I-25 pavement underneath the 88th Avenue bridge. This work will improve the vertical clearance on the roadway under the 88th Avenue bridge by approximately one foot.

“This portion of the I-25 North Express Lanes project has been reduced to 50 days from the original 100 days in order to minimize the impact to the traveling public,” Andy Stratton, Project Engineer for the I-25 North Express Lanes said. “In order for us to remain on schedule we must move forward with this closure as quickly as possible despite weather delays.”

This work will be highly impactful to motorists traveling southbound I-25 in this area and with the full closure of I-25 only a few miles south that same weekend CDOT encourages motorists to avoid I-25 throughout the Denver metro area and to use alternate routes throughout this entire weekend.

PROJECT INFORMATION: The $98 million US 6 Bridges Design-Build Project will replace six obsolete bridges on US 6 between Knox Court and I-25, improve traffic movements in the I-25 and US 6 interchange and enhance driver safety by eliminating several traffic weave movements along US 6 between Federal Boulevard and I-25. Substantial project completion is planned for August 2015.

For updated project information, visit http://www.coloradodot.info/projects/US6Bridges, call 720-881-5540 or email [email protected].

To receive real-time updates about road conditions in your area, visit www.coloradodot.info and click on the green cell phone icon in the upper right hand corner of the page. Information about weekly lane closures will be available at www.coloradodot.info/travel/scheduled-lane-closures.html. Live road conditions are available at www.cotrip.org, downloading the CDOT Mobile app or by calling 511 from anywhere in the state. Updates are also available via Twitter @coloradodot and be sure to “Like” our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/coloradodot.