Safety Project Highlights

Projects Statewide

I-25 Southbound Interim, Speer Boulevard – 20th Street, Denver

CDOT Region 1
Project Budget: $17.3 million; completed 2013
FASTER Project Award: $12.2 million (61.8% of project budget)
Benefits: Improves safety for vehicles entering and exiting I-25. Improves bicycle and pedestrian safety.

This project added auxiliary lanes on southbound I-25 from 20th Street to Speer Boulevard, allowing motorists more time to enter and exit I-25. The I-25 high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane exit was reconfigured to provide for a longer merge lane into mainline traffic, reducing the potential for crashes resulting from slow moving vehicles meeting fast moving traffic. The 15th Street bridge over I-25 was replaced to accommodate four 11-foot lanes and a 6-foot sidewalk on each side.  The City of Denver also contributed funds to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety at Central Street.

250I-76 Median Cable Barrier

CDOT Region 4
Project Budget: $649,390; Completed 2010
FASTER Project Award: $649,390 (100% of project budget)
Benefits: Reduces the number of injuries and fatalities occurring due to head on or overturn crashes.

This project constructed approximately three miles of median cable rail along I-76 in Weld County. Prior to this installation, this portion of I-76 saw a number of injuries and fatalities occurring due to head-on or overturn crashes.

Runaway Truck RampUS 160 Wolf Creek Pass Safety and Culverts

CDOT Region 5
Project Budget: $3.55 million; completed 2011FASTER Project Award: $956,691 (27% of project budget)
Benefits: Improves safety at a popular destination area; reduces the number and severity of truck crashes.

This project provided a number of safety improvements along US 160 from Treasure Falls to the summit of Wolf Creek Pass.  Improvements included reconstruction of a truck escape ramp (changing the entering design speed from 25 MPH to 65 MPH).  Previously, trucks would wreck before reaching the safety ramp and arrestor bed.  To improve the truck escape ramp a concrete safety barrier and truck arrestor bed was installed at the switch back curve below the truck ramp to prevent trucks from leaving the highway and crashing by the scenic overlook.  As part of this project several culverts in poor condition were also replaced to prevent potential roadway collapse or flooding.

The runaway truck ramp depicted here is representative of truck escape ramps along mountain highways in Colorado.