I-25 South Gap construction marks major milestones in 2020

DOUGLAS COUNTY — A project that will greatly improve safety and travel on 18 miles of I-25 between Monument and Castle Rock has made significant progress as it enters the 2021 construction season. Work includes the completion of the northern five miles, two bridges, two wildlife crossings, a new climbing lane for trucks, and nearly 60 percent of paving of the entire construction project.

Construction started in September 2018 and is scheduled for completion in 2022. When completed, I-25 between Monument and Castle Rock will be widened from two to three lanes in each direction. The new lane will operate as an Express Lane, allowing motorists the choice of taking the Express Lane for a faster, more reliable travel time in exchange for a toll. Express Lanes will be free to vehicles with three or more people and motorcycles. All travelers will have the choice of taking the general-purpose lanes for free. The project also includes shoulder widening, rebuilding bridges, new wildlife crossings, resurfacing with new pavement and modernizing technology. The I-25 South Gap project is the longest construction zone in the state.

The Colorado Department of Transportation greatly appreciates the patience of motorists during construction and continues to urge drivers to travel safely through the corridor, including following the speed limit and leaving a safe following distance to prevent crashes.

Construction Milestones

(pavement, bridges, wildlife crossings and technology)

• CDOT and its contractor, Kraemer North America, have accomplished the following:
• Completed construction on the northern five miles between Sky View Lane/Tomah Road and Plum Creek Parkway. The roadway will operate with wider shoulders for emergency response until Express Lanes open with the entire project in 2022. View lane configuration.
• Finished nearly 60 percent of the paving on the entire 18-mile construction project. 468,000 tons of asphalt has been placed.
• Completed two of the five bridges being reconstructed: Spruce Mountain Road Bridge and the Greenland Road interchange. The Upper Lake Gulch Road is 40 percent complete, the bridge over Plum Creek is 50 percent complete and design is complete of the County Line Road Bridge. Construction of the County Line Road Bridge will begin in early 2021. View a time-lapse video of the Spruce Mountain Road bridge demolition and reconstruction.
• Built two of the four wildlife crossings and installed 17 miles of 28 miles of deer fencing. Wildlife safety infrastructure is expected to decrease animal/vehicle collision by 90 percent along the I-25 South Gap corridor. Learn more here.
• Completed a new southbound climbing lane from just south of Greenland Road over Monument Hill that is currently being used as part of a traffic shift to safely accommodate construction in the area.
• Relocated 90,000 linear feet of existing fiber-optic line to modernize communications and power along the corridor. This will enable future advanced technology.

Construction Safety

The project team has done the following to improve safety as much as possible in the construction zone:

• Reduced speed limits according to road conditions.
• Installed Smart Work Zone System devices, including portable variable speed limit signs, additional message boards and a warning system that detects when trucks are entering and exiting the work zone.
• Implemented a Project Operations Center that has helped reduce incident response times from 40 to 20 minutes.
• Implemented a project-based Courtesy Patrol to help stranded motorists and clear crashes.
• Increased Colorado State Patrol enforcement, both by ground and air.
• Frequent restriping to help motorists.Held biweekly meetings with first responders to discuss and improve incident response.
• Provided accurate and timely information to motorists through texts, e-blasts and social media.

Workforce

• The I-25 South Gap project employs 2,767 field employees who have contributed to over one million hours of work on the project.
• Over $28 million of wages has been paid to date.
• CDOT is committed to on-the-job training and has recorded over 30,000 hours of training from nearly 60 apprentices.
• Over 420 subcontractor companies are employed on the project, with 125 subcontractors classified as disadvantaged business enterprises.
• DBEs are for-profit small businesses majority-owned by socially or economically disadvantaged individuals.
• Over 350 businesses are suppliers to the project.

Communications and Outreach

The I-25 South Gap project has a robust communications and outreach program so motorists and communities along the corridor are informed of the latest construction impacts and other project news. Since construction began, the team has done the following:

• Sent out 226 text alerts to 3,409 subscribers to inform them of major closures and unexpected events.
• Received and responded to more than 2,900 calls on the project hotline and emails, with most questions about construction impacts.
• Sent 181 email updates to 2,641 subscribers.
• Reached nearly 4 million people through 853 social media postings on construction impacts and updates.
• Received more than 154,000 page views from the project web page.
• Reached millions of people through media outreach, resulting in 1,284 stories.
• Held 40 meetings, briefings and neighborhood events for elected officials, stakeholders, communities and residents.
• Held three telephone town halls reaching more than 11,000 people.

What’s Ahead for 2021

Much of the work will be focused on completing bridge construction, including the new County Line Road bridge, the remaining bridges at Upper Lake Gulch and Plum Creek and the remaining two wildlife crossings. Work will continue on paving and getting the road in its new alignment.

Stay Informed:

Project hotline: 720-745-5434

Web: i25gap.codot.gov

Sign up for email updates: [email protected]

Text alerts: Text I25GAP to 21000

Project Facebook page: Facebook.com/I25SouthGapProject

Know Before You Go

Travelers are urged to “know before you go.” Gather information about weather forecasts and anticipated travel impacts and current road conditions prior to hitting the road. CDOT resources include:

• Road conditions and travel information: www.COtrip.org
• Sign up for project or travel alerts: bit.ly/COalerts
• See scheduled lane closures: codot.gov/travel/scheduled-lane-closures.html
• Connect with us on social media: Twitter @coloradodot and Facebook facebook.com/coloradodot

Remember: Slow for the Cone Zone

The following tips are to help you stay safe while traveling through maintenance and construction work zones.

• Do not speed in work zones. Obey the posted speed limits.
• Stay Alert! Expect the unexpected.
• Watch for workers. Drive with caution.
• Anticipate lane shifts and merge when directed to do so.
• Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.
• Allow ample space between you and the car in front of you.
• Avoid using mobile devices such as phones while driving in work zones.
• Turn on headlights so that workers and other drivers can see you.
• Be especially alert at night while driving in work zones.
• Be patient!

Covid-19

Safe transportation infrastructure is essential for all of us, particularly for emergency first responders and freight drivers as Colorado navigates the COVID-19 pandemic. With that in mind, CDOT maintenance and construction crews follow social distancing and other health safety measures to reduce COVID-19 exposure on the worksite. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced guidelines for construction activities. The public is urged to join the campaign for #DoingMyPartCO by practicing social distancing and wearing face masks.