Construction of new westbound I-70 alignment begins on I-70 Floyd Hill Project

To access the media kit, email [email protected].

Clear Creek County - The Colorado Department of Transportation’s I-70 Floyd Hill Project is entering a major phase of construction as crews begin building a new westbound Interstate 70 alignment along the hillside south of Clear Creek. This realignment will reduce the steep grade and sharp curve drivers experience today on I-70 at Floyd Hill, improving safety and traffic flow through the corridor. Construction of a cast-in-place segmental bridge (also known as “The Live Lift”), which will carry westbound I-70 in its new alignment, will begin this spring and continue through mid-2027.

The Live Lift Overview:

• A new westbound I-70 concrete cast-in-place segmental bridge will take shape on I-70 at the bottom of Floyd Hill near the US 6 interchange (Exit 244), approximately 20 to 30 feet above the current I-70 alignment
• A cast-in-place segmental bridge is built piece by piece. Crews pour 15-foot concrete sections that extend outward from each bridge pier column like balanced arms (or a “T”) until the full span connects
• Work will begin at the north pier over the current westbound I-70 lanes at the bottom of Floyd Hill, then shift to the south pier to complete the span over eastbound I-70 lanes
• Constructing the bridge above live traffic allows crews to build long spans while minimizing impacts to motorists, waterways and all nearby areas, and improves safety for both the traveling public and crews
• View this animation to learn how the construction of The Live Lift will occur

Traffic Impacts:

Traffic impacts will be minimal, but crews will require intermittent overnight I-70 closures during non-peak travel times to install, reposition and remove a movable platform called a form traveler, used to construct the bridge in segments.

Eastbound I-70 Closures

• Crews will require two overnight full closures of eastbound I-70 between US 6 (Exit 244) and County Road 65 (Exit 248) for crews to build a temporary framework system to support the future construction of the concrete cast-in-place segmental bridge
  • 10 p.m., Tuesday, March 31, to 4:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 1
  • 10 p.m., Wednesday, April 1, to 4:30 a.m., Thursday, April 2
• Detour: Eastbound I-70 motorists will use the eastbound I-70 off-ramp to US 6 (Exit 244), travel east on US 40 and use the County Road 65 on-ramp (Exit 248) to access eastbound I-70
• All work is weather-dependent and subject to change. If weather impacts this work, crews will shift the construction schedule and closures could occur on Tuesday, April 7, and Wednesday, April 8, from 10 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.

Additional overnight closures will occur on westbound I-70, and are expected to begin in early April. Motorists should still anticipate intermittent traffic holds for rockblasting and rockscaling work through 2026. Rockblasting and rockscaling operations take place Mondays through Thursdays, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Motorists can expect a traffic hold for rock scaling approximately every 60 to 75 minutes beginning at 9 a.m. on days that rock scaling operations are occurring.

The best way to stay informed on I-70 Floyd Hill traffic impacts is to sign up to receive text alerts - text floydhill (one word) to 21000 - or sign up for weekly traffic advisories.

Project Information

The I-70 Floyd Hill Project will improve eight miles of the I-70 mountain corridor, from west of Evergreen to eastern Idaho Springs. The Project will deliver a third westbound I-70 travel lane, which will function as an Express Lane, to improve the current two-lane bottleneck. Other major elements include constructing a missing two-mile section of the frontage road between Evergreen and Idaho Springs, 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, improving sight distance on roadway curves, improving the Clear Creek Greenway trail, and creating safer wildlife movements.

Construction began in July 2023. I-70 will be in its new alignment in 2028, with the entire project expected to conclude in 2029.

For additional information about this project:

• Call the project information line at 720-994-2368 (CDOT)
• Text floydhill to 21000 to sign up for text alerts
• Email the project team at: [email protected]
• Visit the project website at: codot.gov/projects/i70floydhill