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, July 31, through Thursday, Aug. 3 - Crews will begin rock scaling operations between Homestead Road (Exit 247) and US 6 (Exit 244) interchanges. Crews will scale rocks multiple times a day during off-peak travel hours. During each operation, motorists can expect traffic holds of up to 20 minutes in both eastbound and westbound I-70 directions, which may result in up to 45 minutes delays as the last of the traffic queues clear. Additionally, motorists should expect the same traffic holds and delays to the Homestead Road on-ramp to westbound I-70 (Exit 247) - watch for a flagger controlling traffic on the ramp. Crews will wait until traffic is flowing at normal speeds before conducting another round of scaling operations to prevent extreme traffic impacts. 

• For updates on rock scaling and rock blasting, text ‘floydhill’ (one word, lowercase) to 21000.

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 temporary barrier, a traffic shift and roadway striping. One lane of traffic will remain open. 

  • 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday, July 30

  • 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. nightly, Monday, July 31, through Wednesday, Aug. 2

• 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday, July 30 - The Homestead Road on-ramp to westbound I-70 (Exit 247) will be closed for roadway striping and a traffic shift. Motorists can access westbound I-70 by using US 40 and US 6. On Monday and Tuesday nights, watch for a flagger on the ramp controlling traffic.

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.

I-70 Floyd Hill Design Work

• 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Monday, July 31 - Single lane closure and alternating single lane traffic on US 40 near MP 269 just south of the US 6 intersection for geotech drilling.

US 40 Roundabouts Project

• 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 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.