CDOT to hold open house meeting on I-70/Kipling Interchange proposed improvements, Tuesday Feb. 12
DENVER — The public is invited to learn more, ask questions and share input on proposed improvements to the I-70/Kipling Interchange. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has completed the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the interchange, which provides a detailed evaluation of the Proposed Action Alternative to build a Diverging Diamond Interchange in comparison with the No Action Alternative.
Open house Tuesday evening:
Tuesday, Feb. 12 from 5 pm to 7 pm
Wheat Ridge Recreation Center, 4005 Kipling St., Wheatridge, CO 80333
No formal presentation is planned. The public is invited to attend at their convenience to view exhibits, talk with the project team staff and submit comments regarding the EA.
Background: Following public review in March 2017, the Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) configuration was confirmed as the Preferred Alternative. This interchange layout is similar to the recently constructed interchange at US 36 and McCaslin Boulevard in Louisville. However, Kipling Street will remain under the I-70 bridge. To improve interchange safety and operations, modifications are planned to the north and south frontage roads and local street circulation in the interchange area. In addition, an eastbound I-70 auxiliary lane from Ward Road to Kipling Street will be added to improve ramp operations.
The existing design and configuration of the interchange no longer accommodates travel demands. Kipling Street is an important transportation corridor supporting mobility and economic activity in Jefferson County, including the cities of Wheat Ridge and Arvada. Improvements are needed to:
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Meet current and future traffic demands.
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Improve operational efficiency of the interchange.
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Improve traveler safety through the interchange.
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Accommodate multimodal connections.
Public input: CDOT has partnered and worked extensively with the community and local governments over the last few years on proposed improvements to the interchange. Several concepts were studied, with the DDI emerging as the preferred alternative to best meet the purpose and need of the project as described above.
What is next: Public input will be gathered throughout the 30-day review of the EA document and considered by CDOT and the Federal Highway Administration prior to issuing a decision document to finalize the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. Public input received to date has helped shape the details of the interchange design and will continue during subsequent final design efforts.
Public comments can be submitted during the open house Feb. 12, or go online at:
https://www.codot.gov/
Deadline for comments is February 24, 2019.
The timeline for construction is depending on funding availability. Funding has not been identified for full interchange reconstruction.
For more information:
I-70 Kipling Interchange project page
View the Environmental Assessment
About CDOT:
CDOT has approximately 3,000 employees located at its Denver headquarters and in regional offices throughout Colorado, and manages more than 23,000 lane miles of highway and 3,429 bridges. CDOT also manages grant partnerships with a range of other agencies, including metropolitan planning organizations, local governments, and airports, and administers Bustang, the state-owned and operated interregional express service. Governor Polis has charged CDOT to further build on the state’s intermodal mobility options.
