Overnight lane reductions on I-70 mountain corridor planned for Monday

August 28, 2015 - Central/Eastern Colorado/CDOT Region 1 - Bridge work requires detouring highway traffic in Idaho Springs.

CLEAR CREEK COUNTY – Drivers traveling the I-70 mountain corridor through Idaho Springs the night of Monday, Aug. 31, might experience delays as the highway will be reduced to one lane of travel in each direction while crews set the girders for the new bridge under construction at Exit 241.

Westbound I-70 will be reduced to one lane on the east side of the Veterans Memorial Tunnels starting at 5 p.m. and one lane of eastbound I-70 will close near mile marker 240 at 6 p.m. All highway lanes are scheduled to reopen by 7 a.m. Tuesday, but if needed, the eastbound lane closure might be in a place a little longer to make the highway safe for travel.

During these overnight lane closures, westbound I-70 drivers will shift into the eastbound lanes and travel up the Exit 241 on-ramp to cross over the highway on Colorado Boulevard and re-enter westbound I-70. Eastbound I-70 drivers will exit onto the new off-ramp at the Colorado Boulevard interchange and proceed down the ramp to re-enter eastbound I-70.

This bridge is being built just east of the existing structure as part of the Peak Period Shoulder Lane Project. The current bridge at Exit 241 will remain open until traffic is moved onto the new bridge later this year.

The Peak Period Shoulder Lane Project is upgrading 13 miles of eastbound I-70 from the Empire Junction to Idaho Springs to convert the shoulder into a third, optional tolled express lane that will open by the end of this year for use during peak travel periods.

PROJECT INFORMATION: For more information on this project, visit www.i70ppsl.com or call the project hotline at 303-223-6581. For information on I-70 travel conditions, visit COTrip.org, download the CDOT Mobile app, sign up for GovDelivery or call 511. Updates are also available via Twitter @coloradodot and CDOT’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/coloradodot