CDOT Selects Kraemer North America to Build I-25 South Gap Project

CASTLE ROCK—CDOT has selected Kraemer North America as the construction manager/general contractor (CMGC) for the $350 million Interstate 25 South Gap project.

The I-25 South Gap project encompasses an 18-mile stretch of I-25 from south of Castle Rock to Monument, called "The Gap," and will improve safety, ease congestion and provide long-term travel reliability along the highly traveled corridor.

Following an extensive procurement process, Kraemer was selected to serve as the project's construction manager and general contractor—working closely with CDOT on design, preconstruction and construction activities.

"Kraemer has a proven track record for not only providing the highest quality and safety, but also for delivering projects on time and on budget while minimizing impacts on the traveling public, which are values that align with our overall project goals," said Mike Lewis, CDOT executive director. "Once complete, this project will bring enormous benefits to the Front Range, and we're excited to be working with a partner who shares our vision."

The Gap is the only four-lane section of I-25 connecting Colorado's two largest cities: Denver and Colorado Springs. Over the years, congestion, crashes and delays have increased due to population growth and more people using the road. Beginning next month, construction will begin to add an Express Lane in each direction, widen shoulders, repair or replace aging bridges, improve drainage, pavement and truck access, add new wildlife crossings, and modernize highway communication technology on this critical stretch of roadway.

Following more than a year of study, CDOT and local partners in El Paso and Douglas counties—along with the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority and a federal Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant—funded the $350 million project. Identified as a top statewide priority, the process to move the project from the environmental assessment phase into construction has been the fastest in CDOT's history.

"As Colorado's population continues to expand and demands on our transportation system grow, we have to find innovative solutions to keep traffic moving and keep people safe," said David Spector, director of CDOT’s High Performance Transportation Enterprise. "Express Lanes will provide reliable, shorter times in this critical corridor connecting Denver and Colorado Springs, helping commuters, businesses and travelers spend less time in their car."

Motorists will have the choice of driving the general-purpose lanes for free or take the Express Lane for a more reliable trip in exchange for paying a toll.

Contract negotiations are being finalized and construction is expected to begin next month on the northern section of the project, with most of the corridor experiencing active construction by summer 2019. Substantial completion is planned for 2022.

Kraemer North America is a privately held general contractor with more than 100 years of highway and bridge construction experience headquartered in Plain, Wisconsin. Its Colorado regional office is located in Castle Rock.

The company has successfully constructed numerous major infrastructure projects throughout Colorado including I-25 Cimarron and U.S. 6 design-build projects, I-25 and Arapahoe Interchange CMGC reconstruction project, and Idaho Springs Westbound I-70 Twin Tunnels project, to name a few.