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 can expect corridor-wide impacts to establish a safe work zone and install traffic control signage. This will require lane restriping, shoulder closures and installation of temporary barriers to separate the work area from I-70 travel lanes. 

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.

Eastbound I-70 Traffic Impacts

• Watch for overnight right lane closures on eastbound I-70 from the US 6 interchange (Exit 244) to the County Road 65 interchange (Exit 248) for the installation of temporary barrier. One lane of traffic will remain open.
  • 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday, July 23
  • 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., Monday, July 24, through Thursday, July 27
• 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday, July 23 - The eastbound I-70 off-ramp to Homestead Road (Exit 247) will be closed for installation of temporary barrier. Detour: Continue on eastbound I-70 and turn around using the El Rancho interchange (Exit 251).

Westbound I-70 Traffic Impacts

• Watch for overnight, double-lane closures on westbound I-70 from the County Road 65 interchange (Exit 248) to the US 6 interchange (Exit 244) for installation of traffic control signage. One lane of traffic will remain open.
  • 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday, July 23
  • 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., Monday, July 24, through Wednesday, July 26
  • 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., Thursday, July 27

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.
• All construction activities are weather dependent and subject to change. For real-time travel information, visit COTrip.org.

Upcoming Rock Scaling Operations 

• Week of July 31 - Crews will begin rock scaling operations. Crews will scale rocks up to four times a day, Monday through Thursday, within a 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. time frame, which is historically an off-peak travel time range. During each operation, motorists can expect traffic holds of up to 20 minutes in both eastbound and westbound directions which may result in up to 45 minutes delays as the last of the traffic queues clear. Crews will wait until traffic is flowing at normal speeds before conducting another round of scaling operations to prevent extreme traffic impacts.

I-70 Floyd Hill Design Work

• 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Sunday, July 23, through Friday, July 28 - Right lane and shoulder closures on westbound I-70 for geotech work between the Homestead Road interchange (Exit 246) and the US 6 interchange (Exit 244).
• 4 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, July 25 - Right lane closure on westbound I-70 at the US 6 interchange (Exit 244) for fiber optic work.

US 40 Roundabouts Project

• Watch for a full closure of US 40 from just west of Homestead Road to the Floyd Hill Open Space for sewer installation:
  • 8 a.m. Monday, July 24, through noon, Friday, July 28
  • 8 a.m. Monday, July 31, through noon, Friday, Aug. 4

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.