Bridge Deck Rehabilitation to Cause Delays on Eastbound I-70 at 44th Avenue This Weekend

Motorists needing access to eastbound I-70 from SH 58 can travel east on SH 58 to westbound I-70 and take I-70 to 32^nd Avenue and travel east to Youngfield Street.  Take Youngfield Street north where access to eastbound I-70 is available.

The bridge deck rehabilitation consists of rotomilling the existing asphalt mat, removing the deteriorated concrete, replacing the bridge deck with new concrete, paving, and striping.

The bridge deck work is complete on eastbound and westbound I-70 over Ward Road.  Crews will finish the work on eastbound I-70 over 44^th Avenue this weekend, leaving only westbound I-70 over 44^th Avenue. The project is expected to take approximately two more weekends following this weekend’s work.  However, no work will take place next weekend, May 27^th through May 30^th due to the holiday.  Work will resume the first weekend in June, weather permitting.

During the weekend work, major delays are expected and alternate routes are strongly advised.  The speed limit will be reduced to 55 MPH during work hours only.  Most fines for infractions that occur in the work zone will be doubled.  CDOT would like to remind motorists to plan ahead, obey all construction signs and flaggers and “Slow for the Cone Zone.”

The bridge deck rehabilitation is part of an interchange improvement at I-70 and Ward Road that reconstructed the eastbound I-70 ramps at 44^th Avenue/Ward Road to increase merge distance. The north side of 44^th Avenue was also widened to accommodate two left turn lanes from eastbound 44^th Avenue to I-70 as well as one full continuous merge lane on 44^th Avenue between the I-70 off-ramp and Ward Road.  The interchange improvements are complete, but the bridge deck rehabilitation work remains as well as some paving on I-70.

Asphalt Paving Co. is the contractor for this $8.5 million project scheduled to be complete by the end of July 2011.