Project History

On June 22, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) a $15 million federal grant to complete the funding package and $44 million investment to build the I-25 North Express Lanes Project, between US 36 and 120th Avenue, allowing for one new managed toll lane in each direction on the highly congested six-mile stretch of Interstate 25 (I-25). The Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) Express Buses will also have access to the new managed lanes, increasing reliability and providing for system expansion.

The I-25 North Express Lanes offer a high-value, low-cost investment that would ensure sustainable congestion relief in the northern Denver metropolitan area.  The northern segment of I-25 is one of the most congested corridors in the metropolitan area with traffic jams spanning nearly four hours during morning and evening peak periods with traffic operating at 15 miles per hour verses the posted 55-65 miles per hour speed limit.

A Record of Decision (ROD) for the North I-25 Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) signed in December 2011, identified the need for extending the managed lanes on I-25 north of US 36 into Adams County. The extension will provide meaningful relief and a congestion-free alternative for travelers when choosing to carpool, utilize transit, or pay a toll to access the express lanes.

The I-25 North Express Lanes expand the regional network of transit by providing a direct link from Denver’s northern metropolitan region to the region’s primary multimodal hub at Denver Union Station. These lanes also connect to a coordinated system of managed lanes; connecting to the existing I-25 Express Lanes to the south and the soon-to-be-completed US 36 Express Lanes and Bus Rapid Transit Project between Denver and Boulder to the west.