I-270 Corridor Improvements

About the Project

The I-270 Corridor Improvements project spans east to west between Adams County and north Denver and acts as a major thoroughfare for daily commuters and freight traffic. Built in 1965, I-270 is the only interstate in Colorado that has never received an upgrade. With more than 100,000 vehicles traveling I-270 daily, the I-270 Corridor Improvements project will improve safety, travel time reliability, freight operations and multimodal connectivity on a congested interstate that carries more traffic than it was designed for.

CDOT and the Federal Highway Administration spent the last several years studying the corridor through an Environmental Impact Statement process, which included meetings with residents, stakeholders and community leaders, and drafting potential solutions for eliminating environmental burdens and addressing the aging infrastructure. Now, with a signed Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision, construction of the I-270 Corridor Improvements project is underway.

Work this Week & Lane Closures for I-270 Corridor Improvements

Project Facts

  • Construction Cost: $806 million
  • Contractor: Kiewit Corporation
  • Timeline: October 2026 to 2033
  • Location: I-270 
    • Nearest Town/City: Commerce City
    • Mile Point(s): MP 1 to MP 5
    • Counties: Adams and Denver
I-270 Corridor Improvements project phasing map.
I-270 Corridor Improvements project phasing map. Phase 1 will occur between the South Platte River and the Vasquez Boulevard ramps. Phase 2 will occur between I-25 and the South Platte River, and between Vasquez Boulevard and I-70. Phase 3 will occur between Vasquez Boulevard and Quebec Street.

Project Phases

  • Phase 1: Embankment, critical bridges and mainline I-270 - October 2026 through early 2030
    • Elevate the roadway on the northern edge on westbound I-270 between 60th Avenue and the South Platte River Trail to support the addition of future travel lanes.
    • Rebuild eight of 12 bridges in the poorest condition over the South Platte River, Burlington Ditch, Brighton Boulevard/Union Pacific and BNSR railroads and 60th Avenue/BNSF railroad.
    • Reconstruct mainline I-270 from the South Platte River to the start of the Vasquez Boulevard ramps
  • Phase 2: Reconstruct mainline I-270 and interchanges - Early 2030 through 2033
    • Reconstruct remaining mainline I-270, the Vasquez Boulevard/I-270 interchange, and York Street and 56th Avenue bridges
  • Phase 3: Vasquez Boulevard and Sand Creek improvements - Early 2030 through 2033
    • Reconstruct the Vasquez Boulevard bridge over Sand Creek
    • Improve Sandcreek Drive/Frontage Road
    • Build a new bicycle and pedestrian overpass over I-270.

Project Benefits

  • Replaces 12 aging bridges built in the 1960s
  • Adds one new tolled Express Lane in each direction of I-270, free for buses, motorcycles and carpools of three or more, alongside two general-purpose lanes
  • Rebuilds the Vasquez Boulevard interchange
  • Improves ramps at I-76, York Street and Quebec Street to reduce merging and weaving crashes
  • Adds a continuous auxiliary lane on I-270 between Vasquez Boulevard and York Street
  • Widens shoulders and adds emergency turnarounds so crashes and breakdowns can be cleared more quickly and safely
  • Builds a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge over I-270 between East 56th Avenue and Quebec Street
  • Adds new sidewalks, multi-use paths and safer crossings at Brighton Boulevard, East 56th Avenue, York Street, Vasquez Boulevard and South Sandcreek Drive
  • Improves connections to the South Platte River and Sand Creek trails
  • Adds four new Regional Transportation District (RTD) bus stops near the Quebec Street interchange
  • Adds air quality monitoring and reporting, water quality ponds and wetlands mitigation

Work Schedule

To be announced.

Traffic Impacts

Motorists can expect the following impacts during the period of construction:

  • Overnight, single-lane closures along I-270 between the South Platte River and 60th Avenue from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for construction work
  • Daytime flagging operations on Brighton Boulevard, just north of I-270, for trucks to enter and exit the work zone. Do not follow trucks into the work zone
  • Right shoulder closures along westbound I-270 between the South Platte River and 60th Avenue
  • No daytime impacts along mainline I-270.
  • Refer to COtrip.org for real-time travel conditions and road closures