Travel delays expected on I-70 mountain corridor for daytime paving work next week
CLEAR CREEK COUNTY – The onset of colder overnight temperatures means ongoing roadway milling and paving work through Clear Creek County will switch to daytime hours beginning Tuesday, Oct. 13, so anyone traveling on eastbound I-70 should expect delays. Crews are in the process of widening eastbound I-70 between mile markers 232 and 242 to create a third, optional tolled Express Lane that will open by the end of this year for use during peak travel periods.
Work next week will begin along eastbound I-70 at mile point 232, which is the US Highway 40 interchange to Empire and Winter Park. Both the eastbound I-70 off-ramp to U.S. 40 and the U.S. 40 on-ramp to eastbound I-70 will be closed from 2 a.m. to 8 p.m. next Tuesday and Wednesday. There will also be a single lane closure along eastbound I-70 while this work is done. If necessary, work at this interchange could extend into Thursday.
To detour around this work, eastbound I-70 drivers should continue to Exit 234, turn left, and re-enter westbound I-70 to reach U.S. 40, while anyone traveling from Winter Park should take westbound I-70 and exit at Georgetown (Exit 228) to access eastbound I-70.
When the widening work is finished near this interchange, crews will move their operations to the east to mile point 239 and begin working their way east toward Idaho Springs. It will take about one month to widen this section of eastbound I-70. During this time, drivers can expect single lane closures between the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays.
Beyond these paving operations, there are other work activities taking place throughout the project corridor, so eastbound I-70 drivers should plan for delays each weekday, particularly between the hours of 1 and 6 p.m. when the highest traffic volumes are expected. If possible, motorists should plan their travels to avoid these peak travel times. Westbound I-70 drivers could also experience delays each weekday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for general work activities. If backups become too extensive, crews will suspend any work activities that can be stopped immediately.
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.
