I-70 Floyd Hill Project | Construction
Rock scaling operations began in early October and include the following impacts:
- Rock scaling began in early October and will last up to two months
- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays - Expect 20-minute traffic holds, up to six times per day, approximately every 60 to 75 minutes. Expect up to 45-minute delays as the traffic queue clears
- Westbound I-70 traffic held east of Hidden Valley (Exit 243)
- Eastbound I-70 traffic held west of Veterans Memorial Tunnels
- Traffic may also be held on County Road 314
Rock blasting operations began in late October and include the following impacts:
- Rock blasting began in late October and will last through 2026. Rock blasting and scaling may happen on the same day
- Westbound I-70 traffic held at Homestead Road, eastbound I-70 traffic held west of Veterans Memorial Tunnels
- Expect intermittent traffic holds on Central City Parkway, County Road 314, US 6 and US 40
- Expect several traffic holds daily Monday - Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Fridays, 9 a.m. to noon
- Plan for up to 45-minute delays. Delays could extend to 4 p.m.
- Rock scaling may be necessary after rock blasting to clear any loose rocks above I-70 traffic
Stay on I-70, there is no recommended detour route. Text alerts are the best way to stay informed - sign up by texting floydhill (one word, lowercase) to 21000.
For more information, please view the rock scaling/blasting Frequently Asked Questions.
About the Project
The I-70 Floyd Hill Project, from west of Evergreen to eastern Idaho Springs, encompasses an eight mile section of the I-70 Mountain Corridor that acts as an economic gateway for the state of Colorado and the nation. Home to long-time residents, dozens of large and small businesses and tourism traffic, this section of I-70 is in desperate need of improvements. CDOT spent several years studying the corridor, meeting with residents, stakeholders and community leaders, and drafting potential solutions for this corridor whose aging infrastructure is long overdue for replacement. Now, with support from stakeholders and national leaders, construction of the I-70 Floyd Hill Project is underway and began with its early projects.
Work this Week & Lane Closures I-70 Floyd Hill
Project Facts
- Estimated Construction Cost: $700 million
- Contractor: Kraemer North America
- Timeline: Construction began in July 2023 and will continue until late 2028.
- Location: I-70 from east of the Floyd Hill/Beaver Brook exit to Colorado Blvd.
- Nearest Town: Idaho Springs
- Mile Points: 241 to 248
- County: Clear Creek County
The I-70 Floyd Hill project will:
- Add a third westbound I-70 travel lane in this two-lane bottleneck
- This new lane will be a full-time, tolled Express Lane from just west of Homestead Road (Exit 247) through the Veterans Memorial Tunnels to Colorado Blvd./Idaho Springs (Exit 241).
- Rebuild bridges due to use, wear and tear, and heavy usage
- Construct a missing two-mile section of the frontage road between US 6 and the Hidden Valley/Central City Parkway interchanges, which will improve emergency response
- Build an extended on-ramp from US 6 onto eastbound I-70 for slow-moving vehicles to have more room to merge
- Improve traffic flow and access at interchanges and intersections
- Improve sight distance and safety by straightening roadway curves
- Improve the Clear Creek Greenway trail
- Implement environmental mitigation to enhance wildlife connectivity, air and water quality, stream conditions and recreation
- Install two permanent air quality monitors
Geographic Sections of the I-70 Floyd Hill Project
The Project has been designed and will be constructed in three main geographic sections shown on the map below.
Map of the I-70 Floyd Hill Project highlighting the three geographic phases that the project will be built in. The East Section spans from County Road 65 (Exit 248) to the bottom of Floyd Hill. The Central Section spans the middle of Floyd Hill to Hidden Valley/Central City Parkway (Exit 243). The West Section spans from Hidden Valley Interchange (Exit 243) to Idaho Springs Exit 241.
Project Benefits
- Address the bottleneck on I-70 at Floyd Hill and improve travel time reliability
- Rebuild bridges to today’s safety standards
- Improve traffic flow and access at interchanges and intersections
- Improve design speeds and stopping sight distance on horizontal curves
- Implement environmental mitigation to enhance wildlife connectivity, air and water quality, stream conditions and recreation
Work Schedule
- Construction on the East Section began in July 2023 and will last until summer 2026.
- Construction on the West Section began in March 2024 and will last until summer 2028.
- Construction on the Central Section will begin in fall 2024 and last until late 2028.
- *Note: During design, the West Section was originally estimated to start in early 2024 and be completed in fall 2027, and the Central Section was estimated to start in spring 2024. These dates shifted as the project team worked through design and adjusted the timeline to account for seasonal environmental constraints that could affect construction.
Traffic Impacts
During construction, motorists can expect:
- Occasional daytime 20-minute traffic holds for rock scaling and rock blasting resulting in delays of up to 45 minutes
- Overnight lane closures
- Temporary lane shifts
- Periodic, temporary on- and off-ramp closures
- Periodic, overnight detours in the I-70/US 6 interchange and short-term closures of I-70 for safety critical work
- Temporary closures of the Clear Creek Greenway trail
Efforts to keep I-70 moving during construction include:
- Keeping all lanes and ramps open during peak traffic hours
- Ensuring lane closures are responsive to current traffic patterns
- Innovating complex work above the roadway so it doesn’t impede traffic
- New roadway sections are being built adjacent to current lanes to keep traffic moving
- Promote the use of transit and carpool options to reduce single occupancy vehicle
