The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is preparing to open the eastbound lanes in the tunnel of the new Central 70 Project, as it nears to completion.
Drivers will not be able to travel in the eastbound lanes from Washington Street to I-270 from Friday night at 8 PM to Monday morning at 5 AM During the closure, crews will restripe the road to shift traffic to the new lanes.
There will be three wide general-purpose lanes and one express lane through the tunnel. There are several safety features built into the tunnel including, nine jet fans to clear out vehicle exhaust, a sprinkler system in case of fire, a public address system, and lighting. All to make sure that drivers have a good experience on the newly built road.
"And then commuters, I think, on Monday morning are going to be amazed, the quality of the ride, how smooth it is. Right now, they're driving over a temporary situation with inlets in their wheel path, and it's rough, it's narrow. I think they're going to be amazed at how smooth this is and what a quality product it is," said Bob Hayes, Project Director, Central 70 Project.
CDOT recommends taking I-25 to I-76 to I-270 to get around the closure.
Toll charges on the eastbound express lane won't start until early next year. Next work begins on the final configuration of the westbound lanes which should be done in September.
The Central 70 Project in Colorado is a reconstruction of a 10-mile stretch of I-70, removing the aging 57-year-old viaduct, add one new Express Lane in each direction, lower the interstate between Brighton and Colorado boulevards, and place a 4-acre park over a portion of the lowered interstate.
The $1.2 billion project should have traffic in the final configuration by the end of this year, with additional features being built into 2023.
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Source: CDOT
