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. 15. For updates on rock blasting and traffic impacts, text floydhill (one word, lowercase) to 21000.

Starting at 8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 11, the Mountain Express Lanes (MEXL) will be closed for two weeks on eastbound and westbound I-70 as crews prepare for construction in the West Section (Hidden Valley interchange to eastern Idaho Springs) of the I-70 Floyd Hill Project. 

Beginning Monday, Oct. 2, the I-70 Floyd Hill Project began a long-term closure of a portion of the Clear Creek Greenway trail for utility work and grading operations. For more information on the trail closures, check out this webpage.

I-70 Mountain Express Lane Closures

• From 8 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 11, to 6 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, the eastbound and westbound I-70 Mountain Express Lanes (MEXL) will be closed for two weeks as crews move the tolling point in preparation for upcoming work in the West Section of the Project. This includes I-70 MEXL closures over two weekends — Friday, Oct. 13 to Sunday, Oct. 15, and Friday, Oct. 20 to Sunday, Oct. 22. Following the two-week hard closure, nightly closures of the I-70 MEXL are anticipated to complete this work. 

I-70 Ramp Closure at Homestead Road

• From 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., Monday, Oct. 9 through Thursday, Oct. 12, the Homestead Road on-ramp to westbound I-70 (exit 247) will be closed overnight for drainage work. Detour: Continue west on US 40 and use the US 6 interchange (exit 244) for access to westbound I-70.

I-70 Lane and Shoulder Closures

• Overnight double left lane closures on westbound and eastbound I-70 between Soda Creek Road (exit 240) and Hidden Valley (exit 243) for electrical work. 
  • Westbound I-70: 
    • 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 11 through Saturday, Oct. 14.
  • Eastbound I-70: 
    • 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 11 and Thursday, Oct. 12. 
    • 8 p.m. to 10 a.m., Friday, Oct.13.
    • 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 14.
• 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., Monday, Oct. 9 through Friday, Oct. 13. 

Clear Creek Greenway Trail Closure

• Beginning 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 - I-70 & Genesee Wildlife Underpass Project

• 9 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 8 to 6 a.m., Monday, Oct. 9 - Expect a double-lane closure on eastbound I-70 between mile points 254 to 255 at Genesee as crews restripe the roadway, set up barrier and shift traffic onto the newly completed eastbound I-70 structure. Following this traffic shift, crews will work in the median. Once complete, the I-70 & Genesee Wildlife Underpass project will increase safety and decrease wildlife-vehicle collisions by up to 90%.

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.