I-70 Floyd Hill Project Update

Sun glare safety closures start Sunday, Nov. 5 — Motorists can anticipate daily sun glare closures starting Sunday, Nov. 5. Expect up to one-hour closures between 6:30 and 8:30 a.m., November through February, along eastbound I-70 from US 6 (Exit 244) to Beaver Brook (Exit 248). Traffic on eastbound I-70 will be rerouted at US 6 and motorists can stay on US 6 through Clear Creek Canyon or take eastbound US 40 to return to eastbound I-70 at Beaver Brook. Truckers: expect height restrictions in the tunnels along US 6 Clear Creek Canyon. No vehicles over 12 feet 7 inches tall can travel this route. Watch for advance notification on electric sign boards along eastbound I-70 starting just east of the Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnels. Learn more here. 

Are you winter ready? With winter weather in the forecast this weekend, please make sure your vehicle is winter-ready! Learn more at CDOT’s Winter Wise campaign website. 

Note: No rock blasting operations or traffic holds along eastbound and westbound I-70 this week.

I-70 Mountain Express Lane Closures

• The eastbound and westbound I-70 Mountain Express Lanes (MEXL) are closed until 6 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 28, as crews move the tolling infrastructure in preparation for upcoming work in the West Section of the Project. After the hard closure is complete, nightly closures of MEXL are anticipated to complete the work. 

Eastbound I-70 Off-Ramp Closure at Homestead Road

• The eastbound I-70 off-ramp to Homestead Road (Exit 247) will be closed to place temporary construction barrier. Detour: Continue on eastbound I-70, turn around using the El Rancho interchange (Exit 251) and then use the westbound I-70 off-ramp to CR 65 (Exit 248) and US 40 to access Homestead Road.
  • Daytime 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 31 

I-70 Lane and Shoulder Closures

• Overnight left lane closures on eastbound and westbound 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., Sunday, Oct. 29, through Thursday, Nov. 2. 
  • Eastbound I-70: 
    • 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 29, through Thursday, Nov. 2.
• Daytime right shoulder closures on eastbound and westbound I-70 between Soda Creek Road (Exit 240) and Hidden Valley (Exit 243) for electrical work. 
  • Daytime 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 3.   

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.

Genesee Wildlife Traffic Impacts 

• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, Oct. 30, through Thursday, Nov. 2 - a single, left lane closure of westbound I-70 and left shoulder closure on eastbound I-70 for crews to install wildlife fencing near the Genesee Wildlife Crossing, between Lookout Mountain (Exit 256) and Genesee (Exit 254).

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 will detour around the closure using I-70. This closure will allow crews to complete storm sewer work, soil nail wall construction and roadway construction.

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.