30-year-old light rail tracks replaced across downtown Denver

The Regional Transportation District has completed its Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project. The RTD project removed and replaced 30-year-old tracks across five intersections in downtown Denver. 

The intersections include:

• Broadway and Welton
• 15th and California streets
• 15th and Stout streets
• 17th and California streets
• 17th and Stout streets

The project started in June and was completed in August. It finished three weeks ahead of schedule, which RTD tells CBS Colorado eliminated any problems they were prepared to run into.

"There was some concern initially about being able to meet this drastic timeline this summer," Stuart Summers, Chief Communications and Engagement Officer for RTD said. "Trying to complete five intersections with a full-depth reconstruction was a concern. This is the first time in RTD history. It gave some people pause wondering if we would be able to pull this off by its September service change. It's exciting to stand here today knowing that we completed it three weeks ahead of schedule."

Traffic can now move in all directions at the intersections. Bus services have returned back to normal, but rail services have not returned just yet. This won't happen until their Service Changes Day, scheduled for Sept. 29. 

This is a project your First Alert Traffic Tracker Reporter Brian Sherrod has covered from the very beginning. The original 30-year-old rail was pulled out to add new rail to last 30 more years. The original track was placed in 1994.

The completion of the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project is just phase 1 of four. Phase two through four is scheduled to start in 2025. This includes mid-block work, track work between intersections, and improvements along the Weston Street Corridor and Colfax near the Auraria campus.

Over the next few weeks until Sept. 29, you will see empty trains around the area. This is for test drivers to make sure the new track is safe and operational. Prior to the resumption of the D, H, and L lines in the Downtown Loop, RTD must first conduct thorough safety testing on the recently reconstructed tracks. Additionally, the agency will perform maintenance to overhead electrical wires and address preventative maintenance repairs across the rail network.

The entire project cost $151 million.