I-70 Floyd Hill Project Update

Next week, there will be no rock blasting operations or traffic holds along eastbound and westbound I-70. Rock blasting operations will resume the week of Oct. 16. For updates on rock blasting and traffic impacts, text floydhill (one word, lowercase) to 21000.

Starting in mid-October, expect closures of the I-70 Mountain Express Lanes as crews prepare for construction in the Central (middle of Floyd Hill to the Hidden Valley interchange) and West (Hidden Valley interchange to eastern Idaho Springs) sections of the I-70 Floyd Hill Project. 

Additionally, a portion of the Clear Creek Greenway trail will close long-term starting at 6 a.m., Monday, Oct. 2 for utility work and grading operations. For more information on the trail closures, check out this webpage.

I-70 Shoulder Closures

• Daytime right shoulder closures on westbound and eastbound I-70 between Soda Creek Road (exit 240) and Hidden Valley (exit 242) for electrical work. 

  • Daytime 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, Oct. 2 through Friday, Oct. 6.

Clear Creek Greenway Trail Closure

• Starting at 6 a.m., Monday, Oct. 2, trail users can expect a long-term closure of the Clear Creek Greenway Trail between the US 6 (exit 244) and Hidden Valley (exit 243) interchanges for utility work in this area. This trail will be an active construction zone and will be unsafe for travel. Other segments of the trail will remain open. Please plan ahead and continue to check the I-70 Floyd Hill’s Clear Creek Greenway Trail webpage prior to using the trail.

I-70 Mountain Express Lane Closures

• Beginning in mid-October, the Mountain Express Lanes (MEXL) will be closed for two weeks on eastbound and westbound I-70. Crews will be working to move the tolling point in preparation for upcoming work in the West Section. This includes MEXL closures over two weekends. After the hard closure is completed, nightly closures of MEXL are anticipated to complete this work.

I-70 Mountain 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 and nighttime 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.

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.