I-70 Floyd Hill Project Update

Next week, crews will conduct a rock blasting operation along I-70 between noon and 3 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 25. Motorists can expect a traffic hold of up to 20 minutes along eastbound and westbound I-70, and on US 40 between Homestead Road (Exit 247) and US 6 (Exit 244) interchanges, which may result in up to 45 minutes delay as the queue clears. Please stay on I-70. During the traffic hold, we recommend you turn off your vehicle to help with air quality. For updates on rock blasting, text floydhill (one word, lowercase) to 21000. 

Reminder: The eastbound and westbound I-70 Mountain Express Lanes (MEXL) are closed until 6 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 28, as crews relocate tolling infrastructure to prepare for construction in the West Section (Hidden Valley interchange to eastern Idaho Springs) of the I-70 Floyd Hill Project.

Rock Blasting Impacts

• Between noon and 3 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 25 - Crews will conduct a rock blasting operation. A series of airhorn blasts will precede each detonation to warn people in the area. Crews will only complete one blast next week. 

I-70 Mountain Express Lane Closures

• The eastbound and westbound I-70 Mountain Express Lanes (MEXL) are closed until 6 am., Saturday, Oct. 28, as crews move the tolling infrastructure in preparation for upcoming work in the West Section of the Project. This includes I-70 MEXL closures this weekend — Friday, Oct. 20 to Sunday, Oct. 22 — and a partial weekend closure on Friday, Oct. 27. After the hard closure is completed early Saturday, Oct. 28, nightly closures of MEXL are anticipated to complete the work. 

I-70 Lane and Shoulder Closures

• Overnight left lane closures on westbound and eastbound I-70 between Soda Creek Road (Exit 240) and Hidden Valley (Exit 243) for work in the median.
  • Westbound I-70: 
    • 7 p.m. to 8 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 24 through Friday, Oct. 27. 
  • Eastbound I-70: 
    • 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 24 through Thursday, Oct. 26.
    • 7 p.m. to 10 a.m., Friday, Oct. 27.
• Daytime right shoulder closures on westbound and eastbound I-70 between Soda Creek Road (Exit 240) and Hidden Valley (Exit 243) for electrical work.
  • Daytime 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 22 through Saturday, Oct. 28. 

Clear Creek Greenway Trail Closure

• On Monday, Oct. 2, the I-70 Floyd Hill Project began a long-term closure of a portion of the Clear Creek Greenway trail between the US 6 (Exit 244) and Hidden Valley (Exit 243) interchanges for construction and utility work in this area. This work is scheduled to last until spring 2024, but trail users can expect ongoing trail impacts and closures through 2026. This portion of the trail will be an active construction zone and will be unsafe for multi-use travel. Other segments of the trail will remain open. For up-to-date information visit bit.ly/ccgreenway.

Early Project Update - US 40 Roundabouts

• From 7 a.m., Monday, Oct. 23, to 5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 3, US 40 from Homestead Road to the Floyd Hill Open Space trailhead will be closed. Motorists and cyclists must use I-70 instead of US 40 to travel. This closure will allow crews to complete storm sewer work, soil nail wall construction and roadway construction.

Genesee Wildlife Traffic Impacts 

• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, Oct. 23, through Thursday, Oct. 26 - a single, left-lane closure of westbound I-70 and the left shoulder of eastbound I-70 will be closed for crews to install wildlife fencing near the Genesee Wildlife Crossing, between Lookout Mountain (Exit 256) and Genesee (Exit 254).

I-70 Floyd Hill Design Work

• 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Friday, Oct. 27 - The eastbound I-70 off-ramp to US 6 (Exit 244) will be closed for geotechnical 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.