Project Team Celebrates "Hats Off" Grand Opening for I-25/Arapahoe Road Interchange

GREENWOOD VILLAGE—CDOT and contractor Kraemer North America tpday hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the substantial completion of the Interstate 25 and Arapahoe Road Interchange Reconstruction project. This work has been completed seven months ahead of schedule.

Although the project is substantially complete, landscaping and final punchlist (touch-up) items will continue through next spring. Intermittent lane restrictions may be required to complete this work.

Construction began in May 2016, with a commitment to complete the project by July 2018. Speakers celebrated the early completion by throwing plastic, yellow hard hats into the air.

"This project is helping to reduce congestion and improve traffic operations and safety," said CDOT Executive Director Mike Lewis. "It's also a great example of partnering. We can accomplish a lot when we pool our collective resources for improving our transportation system."

The project's $66 million construction budget came from CDOT's Responsible Acceleration of Maintenance and Partnerships (RAMP) program and local matching funds from Arapahoe County, the City of Centennial, the City of Greenwood Village and the Southeast Public Improvement Metropolitan District.

A ribbon hung between a Kraemer North America truck and a CDOT vehicle, illustrating the project's successful partnerships. Participants concluded the ceremony by cutting individual pieces of the ribbon as a keepsake.

Improvements made as a part of this project included:

• Reconstructed the I-25 bridge over Arapahoe Road and provided three through lanes on Arapahoe Road under the bridge with a single barrier separating east/west traffic
• Realigned the frontage road in the northeast quadrant of the interchange
• Constructed an additional westbound lane on Arapahoe Road from Yosemite Street to Greenwood Plaza Boulevard
• Widened Yosemite Street from Yosemite Circle on the north to Xanthia Street on the south
• Constructed two noise walls: one along Yosemite Street south of Arapahoe Road to Xanthia Street, and another along the south side of Arapahoe Road from Uinta Street to Yosemite Street
• Provided triple left turns from the I-25 off ramps

Due to ongoing construction activity in this area and nighttime travel impacts, alternative transportation modes are encouraged. For information on the Regional Transportation District's Southeast Rail Line or local bus services, call 303-299-6000. For information on carpool and vanpool services, call 303-458-7665.