The Colorado Department of Transportation is preparing for a busy construction season along the Interstate 70 mountain corridor, with multiple projects expected to cause significant traffic disruptions throughout the summer.
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Following a historically low-snow winter, transportation officials are advancing several large-scale infrastructure improvements aimed at enhancing safety and mobility. However, the work will bring lane closures, traffic holds and shifting travel patterns across key stretches of the corridor.
On I-70, continued construction at Floyd Hill and Vail Pass is expected to have the most noticeable impact on drivers, according to CDOT communications manager Austyn Dineen.
Other efforts, including a new interchange near Frisco and bridge repairs through Glenwood Canyon, will also contribute to delays and intermittent lane closures.
With hot and dry conditions increasing wildfire risk, officials are also urging drivers to take precautions, including properly disposing of cigarette butts and securing loose vehicle components that could spark fires.
The I-70 Floyd Hill project, a roughly $900 million effort, is entering what CDOT describes as an “important, new phase of construction.” The project spans nearly eight miles between Evergreen and Idaho Springs and aims to improve safety and eliminate a long-standing bottleneck.
Crews are working to realign westbound I-70 to the hillside south of Clear Creek, while constructing a cast-in-place segmental bridge that will carry the new alignment. Construction on the bridge began this spring and is expected to continue through mid-2027, with the overall project slated for completion in 2029.
Throughout the summer, drivers can expect periodic lane and ramp closures, narrowed lanes and reduced speeds. Traffic holds for rock blasting—lasting up to 20 minutes—are scheduled Monday through Thursday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., and shorter windows on Fridays.
Additional impacts will extend to nearby U.S. Highway 40, where flaggers and alternating traffic patterns will be in place.
Further west, the West Vail Pass Auxiliary Lane Project is entering its sixth and final year of construction. The effort covers a 10-mile stretch of I-70 and focuses on improving safety along steep grades and tight curves.
This season’s work includes completing six wildlife crossings, installing avalanche and rockfall mitigation systems in an area known as The Narrows and resurfacing westbound lanes.
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Beginning April 20, motorists may encounter daily single-lane closures between mileposts 180 and 190. By May, traffic will shift into a head-to-head configuration to allow construction of wildlife underpasses and roadway improvements.
From early June through late summer, additional traffic holds for rock scaling and mitigation system installation are expected, with some lasting up to 20 minutes. Night work is also anticipated to increase later in the season.
Meanwhile, construction will begin April 20 on a new interchange at Exit 203 near Frisco. The two-year project aims to reduce congestion and improve safety for both motorists and pedestrians. While no full closures are planned during the initial phase, nighttime lane shifts and ongoing work schedules could affect travel times.
Additional projects along the corridor include culvert repairs near the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels and ongoing bridge work in Glenwood Canyon, both of which will require periodic lane closures.
Originally reported by Ryan Spencer in Post Independent.
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