Colorado officials, including Clear Creek County Commissioner Randy Wheelock, U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, Gov. Jared Polis and CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew, among others, throw a ceremonial first shovelful of dirt at an Interstate 70 groundbreaking event.
(Photo courtesy of CDOT)
On Oct. 19, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, members of Colorado's congressional delegation who represent the area, state legislators, local officials and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) announced the groundbreaking of the I-70 Floyd Hill project — a main focus of the Polis administration's transformative 10-year infrastructure plan.
The project will rebuild a 7-mi. stretch of I-70 from exit 248 northwest of Evergreen to exit 241 in eastern Idaho Springs and work to eliminate a bottleneck on one of the most congested stretches of the I-70 Mountain Corridor.
Early construction begins this fall, beginning with projects such as a new wildlife crossing at Genesee and roundabouts along U.S. 40 between Evergreen and Floyd Hill, with major construction on the corridor starting in spring 2023.
"I am thrilled to announce the start of the I-70 Floyd Hill project, which will add a lane Westbound from the top of Floyd Hill to the mountain express lane and a climbing lane Eastbound from the bottom of Floyd Hill to the Homestead exit," said Gov. Polis. "These improvements will improve safety, reduce traffic and make it easier and faster for people to access the outdoors and mountain communities. When we passed the bipartisan 10-year infrastructure plan, this project was a key aspect and will deliver real results for those traveling on I-70. This transformative project has received incredible state and federal support and I thank all those that helped get us here today."
The I-70 at Floyd Hill project has received $700 million in state and federal funding and will make major advancements for Colorado by improving infrastructure, roads and bridges across the state. Gov. Polis announced that Colorado received the largest competitive grant that the state has ever received from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the I-70 at Floyd Hill project.
"Floyd Hill is an incredible pain point for Coloradans traveling through the mountains and for Americans traveling West. Thanks to $100 million in new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we're finally addressing the congestion that has plagued this vital corridor. This is what it looks like to rebuild our country after years of investing everywhere except America," said U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet.
"The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill is again delivering for Colorado," said U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper. "The Floyd Hill project will upgrade an essential tract of I-70, boosting our mountain economies and easing congestion so Coloradans can access the great outdoors,"
"As we are all well aware, Floyd Hill is a gateway to Colorado's robust outdoor recreation and mountain tourism industries — and that unique role brings unique challenges," said Congressman Joe Neguse. "Thanks to investments made by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we will see a dramatic decrease in not only travel times, but in transportation-related costs. And as we break ground today we are taking one huge step toward a safer, more efficient Colorado,"
Improvements include:
• Building a third westbound I-70 express lane from the top of Floyd Hill through the Veterans Memorial tunnels, which will link to the existing westbound I-70 Mountain Express Lane to Empire; this will eliminate severe bottlenecking that currently plagues travel time and reliability at the sudden two-lane segment just over the top of Floyd Hill;
• Completing a new frontage road connection between U.S. 6 and Idaho Springs for greater emergency and detour accessibility;
• Replacing bridges, reconstructing highway interchanges and flattening horizontal curves for improved safety and better sight distance;
• Improving the multimodal Greenway trail;
• Building wildlife crossings and fencing and restoring nearby creek and riparian areas to protect and preserve the local environment and wildlife;
• Developing a mobility hub with electric vehicle infrastructure and accessibility options that integrate into the state's growing I-70 transit service, including the new Pegasus service that was added in May 2022 to the corridor as mitigation for this highway project; and
• Providing permanent air quality monitors and coordinating rural broadband access with local communities.
"The I-70 Floyd Hill Project will improve travel time, reliability, and safety," said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. "By eliminating the bottleneck at Floyd Hill, the project will significantly ease congestion and decrease the number and severity of crashes through more consistent traffic flow and speeds. The project will provide alternate emergency access through a newly connected frontage road system that strengthens safety and mobility for thousands of Coloradans that rely on I-70 to access their communities and for the millions who visit the mountains annually. Essential to this project are the multi-modal options, including our Pegasus van service which already started last spring and improvements to the Greenway trail for pedestrians and cyclists to enjoy Clear Creek County."
Construction on the Genesse wildlife crossing and the U.S. 40 roundabouts will begin this fall. Construction of the Empire wildlife crossing and a parking lot for the Pegasus shuttle van service is scheduled to begin next spring. Major construction on the corridor is expected to begin next spring.
For more information about the 10-year plan, visit codot.gov/programs/your-transportation-priorities/your-transportation-plan.
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