CDOT wants input on trail adjoining I-70 Floyd Hill project

CDOT wants input on trail adjoining I-70 Floyd Hill project While construction continues along the $700 million CDOT I-70 Floyd Hill project, the nearby Clear Creek Greenway Trail has been closed for several months.

during weekday hours between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Drivers accessing westbound I-70 can avoid the closure by traveling east on U.S. 40 or I-70 to Lookout Mountain and taking the on-ramp to the interstate.

escape ramp en- trance.

CDOT said some lane restrictions will occur at various times at both project loca- tions. The new escape ramp project is expected to be completed in late May or early June.

With spring approaching, CDOT is seeking input on alternative trail access from those who use the trail. The state asks trail users to participate in an online survey at www.budd. ly.481yqZb. The survey will close on Friday, Feb. 23.

Projects between Floyd Hill and Den- ver

Meanwhile, two other CDOT projects be- tween C-470 and Floyd Hill continue to im- pact traffic between Floyd Hill and C-470 in Golden.

Photo courtesy CDOT.

A section of the trail remains closed between U.S. 6 (Exit 244) and the Hidden Valley- Central City Parkway (Exit 243) during road construction and utility work. CDOT said the work is expected to last until later this spring. However, users should expect ongoing trail impacts and closures through spring 2027. The one-mile part of the trail will remain an active construction zone and is considered un- safe for multi-use travel, although other parts of the trail will remain open.

This week and next, parts of I-70 and U.S. 40 near Genesee will be subject to closing so CDOT can continue construc- tion of a $10 million wildlife underpass along the interstate.

Project overview The $700 million I-70 Floyd Hill project will build a third westbound I-70 travel lane, which will function as an Express Lane, to improve the current two-lane bottleneck heading down Floyd Hill westbound. The new toll lane will begin near the top of Floyd Hill west- bound and will be a fly-over lane that will end near the Veterans Memorial Tunnels.

The closures are scheduled between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays through Feb. 17. Drivers ac- cessing U.S. 40 eastbound can detour around the closure by using eastbound I-70 to the Lookout Mountain exit. Westbound drivers cannot take the exits at Genesee and Mount Vernon Road.

• Constructing a missing two-mile section of the frontage road between Evergreen and Idaho Springs.

Utility work in the vicinity This week, construction crews continue to conduct utility work between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on U.S. 6 at the U.S. 40 junction and the U.S. 6 on-ramp to westbound I-70. The area is below Floyd Hill and near the Two Bears taproom.

• Building an eastbound I-70 extended on-ramp for slow-moving vehicles. Improving traffic flow and access at interchanges and intersections within the project limits.

The wildlife underpass area has been ongoing for months near the top of Genesse Hill and is expected to be completed this spring. On unannounced days, the left lane, heading westbound, is closed to accommodate the work. Mo- torists should read the orange construc- tion signs heading up I-70 from Morri- son to learn if the work may impact the traffic flow.

• Improving sight distance on roadway curves. Improving the Clear Creek Greenway trail. Imple- menting environmental mitigation to create safer wildlife movements and improve air and water quality and stream conditions an d recreation.

I-70 ramp closure The Homestead Road on-ramp to westbound I-70 – at the top of Floyd Hill – will remain closed through Friday, Feb. 16, although weather may play a factor in the reopening plans.

Driver cautions CDOT said motorists should expect narrower lanes and shoulders, reduced speed limits as low as 45 mph and increased truck traffic entering and exiting the work zones. All construction activities are weather-dependent and subject to change. During construction, the exist- ing I-70 travel lanes will remain open in each direction during peak daytime travel hours. Lane closure hours for the duration of construction will vary based on the season, day of the week, number of lanes being closed and travel direction.

Motorists near the top of Floyd Hill on U.S. 40 should continue west on U.S. 40, travel down the hill and use the U.S. 6 interchange to access westbound I-70.

The larger project includes rebuilding the eastbound emergency truck escape ramp between Mt. Vernon Road (Exit 256) and the Morrison exit (Exit 259). There will be overnight double-lane clo- sures on eastbound I-70 in the vicinity. The emergency ramp has been closed for weeks.

Highway 6 restrictions Along Clear Creek Canyon (Highway 6), ongoing, single-land closures are planned from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. between mile points 267 and 271.5. The restrictions will continue today through Friday, Feb. 23, according to CDOT.

• The escape ramp work will include:

Project sections The Floyd Hill project is divided into three sections. The East Section is from the west of Evergreen to mid- way down Floyd Hill near the Black Hawk interchange (Exit 244). The West Section is from near Exit 243 (Central City Parkway) to the Veterans Memorial Tun- nels near Idaho Springs. The Central Section is from the middle of Floyd Hill through Exit 243 (Central City/Hidden Valley exit). The east section began this spring and continues through June 2026. The West section is expected to start this fall and will conclude in the fall of 2027. The Central section has begun and will continue into 2028. The East part of the project includes installing two new traffic roundabouts along Highway 40, at County Road 65 and Homestead Road. Flagmen control traffic during some of the daytime work.

• New signage.

The planned restrictions are part of the ongoing Peak to Plains Huntsman Gulch trail project that began last year in Jefferson Coun- ty, between Highway 119 and Golden.

• Larger barriers between the ramp and the steep embankment.

• Additional cameras.

New I-70 Golden closure Westbound I-70 near Golden will experience random lane closures until later this month

• New ramp lighting.

• A new design intended to allow late entry for truckers who miss the

Construct crews installing rebar on wall along Floyd Hill.

For information on the Highway 6/Clear Creek Canyon project being conducted by Jeffco, visit www. jeffco.us/P2P . Phone information is available at 720- 893-0403. The email address is peak2plains@gmail. com. For real-time travel information, visit www. COtrip.org.

CDOT wants input on trail adjoining I-70 Floyd Hill project

Patrick Henry Sweeney

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CDOT wants input on trail adjoining I-70 Floyd Hill project

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