Restrictions Begin Friday at Santa Fe On-Ramp to Southbound I-25
DENVER – Early tomorrow morning, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will shift southbound Santa Fe Drive (U.S. 85) traffic onto the new bridge over the South Platte River, temporarily closing the access point to the southbound Interstate 25 on-ramp for a few months.
“Moving southbound Santa Fe traffic onto the new bridge is a significant project milestone in that it’s the next step toward reconfiguring the I-25 and Santa Fe Drive interchange and making it more efficient,” said CDOT Project Engineer Dan Housand.
Access to southbound I-25 from northbound Santa Fe Drive will remain while the old southbound bridge over the South Platte River is demolished. When the demolition is complete in March and work begins to reconfigure this interchange into a single point urban interchange, access to southbound I-25 then will be closed for northbound Santa Fe drivers. This on-ramp will remain closed until summer.
The single point urban interchange will open this summer and be similar to interchanges at Santa Fe Drive and Evans Avenue and University Boulevard and I-25. Single point urban interchanges have a single traffic signal that permits simultaneous left-hand turns, allowing vehicles to move more efficiently. When the Santa Fe Drive/I-25 intersection reopens to traffic, it will provide left turns onto southbound Santa Fe Drive from northbound I-25.
In addition to reconfiguring the interchange, reconstruction includes a new storm drainage system, fiber optics for ramp meters, new pavement on northbound Santa Fe Drive and a new alignment for the Santa Fe on-ramp to southbound I-25.
SIGNED DETOUR: Southbound Santa Fe to Mississippi Ave., east on Mississippi to Broadway, north on Broadway to I-25. In addition to the detour route, drivers can access southbound I-25 via Broadway from the downtown area or use other ramps southeast of the I-25/Broadway Interchange.
This work is part of the $24 million Santa Fe Phase 1.4 reconstruction project to replace one bridge structure over the South Platte River and enhance driver safety by eliminating several traffic weaves along Santa Fe Drive. The project is scheduled for completion by December 2016.
CDOT PROJECT INFORMATION: For updated project information, visit https://www.codot.gov/
