I-70B 1st Street and Grand Avenue Improvement Project begins

Travel Advisory

May 12, 2021 - Northwestern Colorado - Motorists should plan for traffic impacts as waterline removal and installation begins

MESA COUNTY - The Colorado Department of Transportation and contractor United Companies have begun the construction phase of the I-70 B 1st St. and Grand Ave. project. Work began on Monday, May 10, with traffic control placed beginning at 7:00 a.m., with several streets in and near the project limits impacted. The first phase of the project will remove and install new waterline and storm drains in several locations. 

Traffic Impacts

  • Just south of the project, West Main St. has the potential for a closure that will be communicated at a future date. Motorists can detour around this closure by accessing Spruce St. to West Rood Ave. 

  • I-70 B from Mulberry St. to Main St. will become one lane in each direction, 24-hours a day/seven days a week.

  • Access to businesses will remain open. 

  • Alternate routes are advised. 


The project will improve the 5-way intersection, including widening the roadway, consolidating access, improving street connections and constructing improved bike and pedestrian connections.

“The intersection of 1st Street and Grand Avenue is unsafe and hard to navigate,” said CDOT Executive DIrector Shoshana Lew. “Fixing this busy location on I-70B is part of a broader, multi-year effort to improve this key corridor for travelers of all modes, including incorporating traffic calming features and multimodal improvements to connect Grand Junction’s downtown to growing residential communities nearby.”

Project work also includes replacing storm drains and water lines, milling, paving, concrete improvements (sidewalks, ADA curb ramps), replacement of signals, as well as lighting and landscaping enhancements. Once complete the project will improve safety, congestion, and increase multimodal opportunities.

“We recognize how impactful this project is,” said Regional Transportation Director Michael Goolsby. “The sooner we can update the infrastructure in this location means the quicker we can return the intersection to a safer and significantly improved traffic configuration when the project is complete.” 

Project info

The project area includes the I-70 Business Loop (I-70B) from Mulberry Street to Rood Avenue, and Colorado Highway 340 (Broadway) from Mulberry Street/Rice Street to 2nd Street. The project is scheduled to be complete in May 2022.

Stay Informed and Connect with the project

Project information is available at: 

About CDOT

CDOT’s Whole System-Whole Safety program has one simple mission — to get everyone home safely. Our approximately 3,000 employees work tirelessly to reduce the rate and severity of crashes and improve the safety of all modes of transportation. The department manages more than 23,000 lane miles of highway, more than 3,000 bridges and 35 mountain passes. CDOT also manages grant partnerships with a range of agencies, including metropolitan planning organizations, local governments and airports. It also operates Bustang, the state-owned interregional express bus service. Gov. Jared Polis has charged CDOT to further build on the state’s intermodal mobility options.