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Floyd Hill work will mean delays, some closures of I-70 with a vision for a safer ride by 2028

from Golden Transcript 072023

by Colorado Community Media

from Golden Transcript 072023, page 47

City of Golden

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As you make your way down Floyd Hill on westbound Interstate 70, there is a tree you should take a look at.

e tree marks the location of the future highway to be completed in 2028.

It’s here, at this tree, where westbound I-70 will launch 60 feet above the mountains on a twisting path leading back to the Veterans Memorial Tunnels. Supported by steel and concrete caissons, this elevated section of road is designed to address several existing problems with what experts say has been a hazardous design for decades. e planned forgiving and wider turns will improve sight and stopping distance.

Kurt Kionka with the Colorado Department of Transportation says the current curves are rated for 45 mph. Many drivers, said Kionka, CDOT Floyd Hill Project director, “clearly exceed that safety limit.”

Kionka and Austin Knapp, the construction manager and general contractor with Kraemer North America, will lead this historic project.

It represents the next ve years of interstate construction in Clear Creek County. Eastbound work is already underway. Expect concrete barriers to be in place soon on the south side to protect tra c and workers as they carve 40 feet from the mountain to allow for additional lanes.

Approximately $700 million in state and federal dollars will be spent. is includes the largest single grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to Colorado: $100 million.

It is a massive engineering and construction project that will be split into three phases. Work has started on the east section of the project, a four-mile stretch that spans from County Road 65 to the bottom of Floyd Hill.

Over the summer, crews will focus on building the work zone, excavation, wall construction, drainage work, and rock scaling and blasting to create room for roadway improvements.

During rock scaling and blasting, motorists should expect daytime tra c holds in both directions of I-70 starting in late-July or early August on some days of the week. Crews will perform rock blasting and scaling for 20 minutes and then reopen the roadway. In all, motorists can anticipate up to 45 minutes of delays.

Blasting is anticipated to occur two times per week through early 2024. Motorists can stay in the know on when blasting activities are planned by signing up for text alerts by texting oydhill to 21000.

Several crude wooden markers are already in place. is simple stick along the walking and biking trail adjacent to Clear Creek on the south side will be replaced in the near future. It marks the spot where westbound I-70 will eventually cross over the creek and rejoin existing I-70 west. Today, it’s a stick. In 2028 it will be an elevated overpass on one of the most critical interstates in the United States. e I-70 Floyd Hill Project will:

Also note, the walking and biking path will be replaced as part of the overall project. e old pavement will be removed and new concrete laid in its place. e grade of the path will also be brought to Americans with Disabilities requirements, according to Kionka.

According to CDOT, the ultimate goal of the project is multilateral and multifold.

• Add a third westbound I-70 travel lane in this two-lane bottleneck. is 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 damaged due to use, wear and tear, and heavy usage;

• Construct a missing two-mile section of the frontage road between U.S. 6 and the Hidden Valley/Central City Parkway interchanges, which will improve emergency response;