I-70 Floyd Hill Project Update

The Colorado Department of Transportation’s I-70 Floyd Hill Project continues construction on the East Section of the project, which spans I-70 from County Road 65 to the bottom of Floyd Hill (approximately exits 248 to 244). 

Motorists should expect narrower lanes and shoulders, reduced speed limits as low as 45 mph and increased truck traffic entering and exiting the work zones. All construction activities are weather dependent and subject to change.

During construction, the existing I-70 travel lanes will remain open in each direction during peak daytime travel hours. Lane closure hours for the duration of construction will vary based on the season, day of week, number of lanes being closed and travel direction.

Rock Scaling Operations

• 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, Aug. 7, through Thursday, Aug. 10 - Crews continue rock scaling operations between the Homestead Road (Exit 247) and US 6 (Exit 244) interchanges. Crews will scale rocks multiple times a day during off-peak travel hours and motorists can expect traffic holds of up to 20 minutes along eastbound and westbound I-70, which may result in up to 45 minutes of delays as the traffic queues clear. To support rock scaling work, the Homestead Road on-ramp (Exit 247) to westbound I-70 will have a flagger controlling traffic holds at the ramp, which will mirror the traffic holds on I-70.
• Crews will wait until traffic is flowing at normal speeds before conducting another round of scaling operations to prevent heavy traffic back-ups.
• During the traffic holds, we recommend you turn off your vehicle to help with air quality.
• For updates on rock scaling and rock blasting, text ‘floydhill’ (one word, lowercase) to 21000.

Corridor-Wide Traffic Impacts

• Reduced speed limits as low as 45 mph, narrower lanes and shoulders, and increased truck traffic entering and exiting the work zones. Heed the speed limit, do not follow trucks into the work zone, go slow for the cone zone and do not drive distracted. 
• Motorists should expect daytime shoulder closures on westbound I-70 for utility work. 
• All construction activities are weather dependent and subject to change. For real-time travel information, visit COTrip.org.

I-70 Floyd Hill Design Work

• 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Monday, Aug. 7 through Friday, Aug. 11 - Right shoulder closures on eastbound and westbound I-70 between MPs 243 and 245 for geotech drilling.

Update on US 6 Construction Activities Near Floyd Hill

As part of the Jefferson County Peaks to Plains Trail project, motorists can expect overnight closures of US 6 in Clear Creek Canyon starting Sunday, Aug. 6. US 6 will be closed Sunday through Thursday nights (excluding holidays) from CO 119 to the CO 58/CO 93 intersection. The section of US 6 between CO 119 and I-70 will remain open for travel into and out of the City of Black Hawk and Gilpin County.

There will be about 60 overnight closures of the canyon continuing throughout this fall as weather conditions allow. Closures taking place Sunday, Aug. 6 through Thursday, Sept. 21, will occur from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Effective Sunday, Sept. 24, the closure timeframe will be 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. This timeframe will continue through Thursday, Oct. 26.

Effective Sunday, Oct. 29, the closure timeframe will be 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. to account for the seasonal I-70 sun glare safety closures. These I-70 closures, which periodically take place at the bottom of Floyd Hill, have the potential of directing more traffic into Clear Creek Canyon so crews will be off the road by 6 a.m. when the safety closures are implemented.

About the Project

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 implementing environmental mitigation to create safer wildlife movements and improve air and water quality, stream conditions and recreation.

Construction began in July 2023 and is expected to conclude in late 2028.