I-70 Floyd Hill Project reaches major milestones in 2024

Travel Advisory

Jan. 8, 2025 - Central Colorado - Progress to continue throughout 2025

Clear Creek County — Dedicated crew members, coupled with innovative design and construction methods, have delivered significant progress on the Colorado Department of Transportation’s I-70 Floyd Hill Project, which will improve eight miles of the Interstate 70 Mountain Corridor between Evergreen and eastern Idaho Springs. To close out 2024, CDOT and contractor partner, Kraemer North America, celebrate key accomplishments that pave the way for continued progress in 2025.

2024 construction highlights

Construction on the I-70 Floyd Hill Project began in July 2023 and accomplishments to-date include:

  • Highway widening: Crews completed rock scaling and blasting in the East Section of the Project, removing 97,000 tons of material from the hillside above eastbound I-70—equal to the weight of 850 blue whales. Crews began rock scaling and blasting in the Central and West sections of the Project along I-70 between the US 6 interchange and the Veterans Memorial Tunnels in late-2024, completing 17 blasts and removing over 40,000 tons of material.
  • Drainage and retaining wall installation: Crews installed 5,600 linear feet of drainage pipe and built retaining walls reinforced with 73,000 square feet of shotcrete, which helps maintain the corridor aesthetic with a natural-looking finish.
  • Wildlife safety: Crews implemented a wildlife mitigation system, which included two miles of deer fencing in both directions of I-70 between Soda Creek and Homestead roads, accompanied by seven escape ramps and deer guard on County Road 65. This work complements the recently completed I-70 Floyd Hill Early Project, which built a wildlife underpass at I-70 and Genesee, and is expected to decrease wildlife vehicle collisions by 90%.
  • New pavement: Crews used 17,900 tons of asphalt to construct 5.5 lane miles of permanent roadway between Idaho Springs (Exit 241) and CR 65 (Exit 248). Motorists are now driving on permanent pavement on eastbound I-70 between US 6 and CR 65.
  • Multimodal support: The Project implemented an on-demand, daily courtesy shuttle from April through September, providing 650 trips to help multimodal users navigate the ongoing one-mile Clear Creek Greenway Trail closure between US 6 and the Hidden Valley interchange.
  • Local economy boost: Over 1,000 field employees have contributed to more than 271,000 work hours to the Project. Kraemer North America currently has 158 subcontractors, with 148 being Colorado businesses and 82 certified as disadvantaged business enterprises, which are for-profit businesses that are majority-owned by socially or economically disadvantaged individuals. Nearly 100 suppliers support the Project.

Early 2025 construction efforts

  • East Section (I-70 from CR 65 to the middle of Floyd Hill): Crews are currently working in the median, and motorists can expect overnight I-70 lane and ramp closures. In mid-January, overhead sign installation will require full closures of westbound I-70 between CR 65 and US 6. In February, crews will again close westbound I-70 to remove the old overhead signing.
  • Central Section (I-70 from the middle of Floyd Hill to Hidden Valley): Motorists can anticipate daily traffic holds for rock blasting on the hillside to the south of eastbound I-70 and Clear Creek, which will make space for crews to build the future eastbound and westbound I-70 bridges. Crews will build these bridges off of the current I-70 travel lanes, which will minimize impacts to motorists. Motorists can anticipate alternating single-lane traffic on US 40 and overnight I-70 lane and ramp closures in the area.
  • West Section (I-70 from Hidden Valley to eastern Idaho Springs): Motorists can anticipate daily traffic holds for rock blasting on the hillside above westbound I-70 in order to straighten I-70 curves to improve safety and sight distance.

Plan ahead

  • The Project will require hundreds of traffic holds for rock blasting operations through 2026. Expect multiple traffic holds per day, Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to noon, in both directions of I-70 between US 6 and the Veterans Memorial Tunnels. Traffic holds may also be required on County Road 314, Central City Parkway, US 40 and US 6. During these operations, motorists should stay on I-70; there is no recommended detour route. Learn more about rock blasting here
  • Expect narrower lanes and shoulders and reduced speed limits. Please slow down and drop the distractions, both for your safety and that of our crew members
  • Text alerts are the best way to stay informed - sign up by texting floydhill (one word, lowercase) to 21000
  • Use COtrip.org or the COtrip Planner app for real-time traffic information and to plan your trip
  • Leave the driving to someone else! Consider using transit to travel the I-70 Mountain Corridor. CDOT’s Bustang and Pegasus travel between Denver Union Station and the Denver Federal Center to various towns to the west along I-70. These services connect to local transit options like Summit Stage or the Vail free bus, which makes it easy to get around your final destination. CDOT’s Snowstang services trips between Denver and four premier ski resorts, dropping you at the doorstep of world-class skiing. Purchase tickets and learn more at RideBustang.com

About the project

The I-70 Floyd Hill Project will improve eight miles of the I-70 Mountain Corridor, from west of Evergreen to eastern Idaho Springs. The Project will deliver a third westbound I-70 travel lane, which will function as an Express Lane, to improve the current two-lane bottleneck. Other major elements include constructing a missing two-mile section of the frontage road between Evergreen and Idaho Springs, building an eastbound I-70 extended on-ramp for slow-moving vehicles, improving traffic flow and access at interchanges and intersections within the project limits, improving sight distance on roadway curves, improving the Clear Creek Greenway trail, and implementing environmental mitigation to create safer wildlife movements and improve air and water quality, stream conditions and recreation.

Construction began in July 2023 and is expected to conclude in late 2028.

Project information

For additional information about this project:

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:

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.
  • Don't change lanes unnecessarily.
  • 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.
  • Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.
  • Allow ample space between you and the car in front of you.
  • Anticipate lane shifts and merge when directed to do so.
  • Be patient!

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