The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is looking to begin improvements to their Floyd Hill Project, the westbound I-70 corridor between Floyd Hill and Veterans Memorial Tunnels.
The congested mountain corridor isn't up to the standards of today. CDOT communications director Matt Inzeo said in an interview with thedenverchannel.com, “It's a stretch of road that was first constructed in the early 1960s, when we were bringing the interstate to Colorado. And frankly, it just isn't up to today's standards. And it certainly isn't up to Colorado's population today."
Approximately five years ago, CDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) began to plan improvements to the section of I-70. Inzeo said those improvements include adding a third express lane on the westbound side, smoother curves and proper shoulder space, along with intuitive bridges placed on the eastbound side.
"It's going to make the road a lot more functional, a lot safer, and just a lot easier for everyone to use, particularly as you're moving through that very difficult stretch," said Inzeo. “We have put the very first project out to bid with the construction industry right now. So, we're expecting private companies to be putting some proposals together. When those come back, frankly in a few weeks, I think we'll be able to begin that evaluation process.”
Inzeo also noted that CDOT is close to finalizing the exact design for the Floyd Hill project. He expects CDOT will break ground on the initial projects this October, however the construction will last until 2026, and potentially could continue into 2027. The project is estimated to cost between $600 million and $700 million.
“Our earliest projects are going to help some of the local traffic movements so that they are as ready as possible when the big construction really gets going next year," Inzeo explained. “Obviously, it's a construction project, there will be impacts from time to time, we'll be coming back to folks to to let them know when that happens. But we're going to be doing everything we can to keep that experience as smooth as we can.”
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Source: Thedenverchannel.com
