I-25 North Lane Addition: Santa Fe to US 6

What

To accommodate project work, along with critical elements of the US 6 Bridges Design Build Project, I-25 will close in both directions between Santa Fe Drive and the US 6 interchange for two extended periods of time over the weekend of Aug. 8, reopening for daytime peak traffic on Saturday.

This project will deliver a much-needed improvement to northbound I-25 between Santa Fe Drive and the US 6 interchange by creating a fourth northbound through lane.

When

Closure 1: Friday night to Saturday morning
10 p.m.* Friday, August 8, through 8 a.m. Saturday, August 9

Closure 2: Saturday night to Monday morning
10 p.m.* Saturday, August 9, through 5 a.m. Monday, August 11

*Note: I-25 completely closes by 10 p.m., although lane closures begin at 9 p.m.

Why

Crews will complete the following critical work on the I-25 North Lane Addition AND US 6 Bridges Projects:

­   Repave and restripe both directions of I-25 between Santa Fe Drive and US 6

­   Demolish the north half US 6 bridge over I-25

­   Relocate three storm sewer lines across southbound I-25

­   Set girders for the northbound I-25 to westbound US 6 off-ramp bridge

Details

  • Adding a fourth lane in this area requires a significant amount of work over the weekend of
    Aug. 8-11. To minimize weekend inconvenience to the traveling public, crews will complete this work in two phases, enabling the highway to remain open during the day on Saturday.
  • Crews will take advantage of these extended weekend closures by performing multiple activities, which would otherwise require at least one month of nightly lane closures and traffic shifts.
  • To accommodate a fourth through lane on northbound I-25, crews will narrow lanes to 11 feet and limit shoulder width in both directions of I-25, although the benefits should outweigh these tradeoffs. When I-25 reopens Monday morning, northbound drivers can use this additional lane to help improve traffic flow.
  • That said, due to ongoing US 6 Bridges Project work, drivers will not realize the full benefits of the I-25 North Lane Addition project until the completion of the northbound I-25 off-ramp flyover bridge to westbound US 6, currently scheduled for early 2015.
  • The I-25 Lane Addition project only provides a temporary fix to traffic congestion in this area, as the long-term solution will not come until funding is available to make permanent improvements to I-25 between Alameda Avenue and US 6.

Traffic impacts

During these weekend closures of I-25, CDOT implores regional through traffic to avoid the area altogether by using I-225, I-70, US 285, C-470, E-470 or any other alternate route. CDOT will work with local jurisdictions to monitor traffic along detour routes and manage congestion across the broader transportation network. Local detour routes for the full I-25 closures go as follows:

Northbound I-25 will detour to northbound Santa Fe Drive, continue north to 8th Avenue, west on 8th Avenue to Kalamath Street, and south on Kalamath Street to westbound US 6 to reconnect with northbound I-25.

Southbound I-25 will detour west on US 6 to Federal Boulevard, south on Federal Boulevard to 5th Avenue to merge onto eastbound US 6 to reconnect with southbound I-25. There could also be delays along eastbound US 6 near I-25 with additional traffic following this detour route.

Northbound Santa Fe Drive: As part of this closure, northbound Santa Fe Drive will close at Mississippi Avenue for the weekend, with traffic detoured on Mississippi Avenue to northbound Broadway and then Lincoln Street. Access to businesses along Santa Fe Drive will be available via Alameda Avenue. Detour signage will guide commuters through the area.

Detour routes

Gap Detour Map