All Lanes I-70 Closed This Weekend In Central 70 Project Construction Zone
DENVER (CBS4)- Drivers can expect one major, temporary closure on Interstate 70 this weekend, as well a permanent one. The closures come as crews continue work on the Central 70 Project, which includes the reconstruction of a 10-mile stretch of I-70 and demolition of a 56-year-old viaduct between Brighton and Colorado Boulevards.
The temporary closure, which starts Friday night at 10 p.m., involves both eastbound and westbound I-70 between Steele/Vasquez and I-270. The area will remain closed until 5 a.m. on Monday, June 29.
Are you prepared for the weekend closure of I-70? I-70 will close in both directions between Steele/Vasquez and I-270 starting 10 p.m., Friday, June 26 through 5 a.m., Monday, June 29. #central70project pic.twitter.com/k8UPcc6NKq
— Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) (@ColoradoDOT) June 22, 2020
Around the same time, CDOT will also permanently close the westbound I-70 off-ramp to Steele/Vasquez. According to Central 70 Project Director Keith Stefanik, the ramp is not part of the final alignment of the project and will not be rebuilt.
"Motorists should expect on Monday morning to exit westbound Colorado, have a slight detour on southbound Colorado and then head west on 46th North Avenue, which is a newly constructed road, and then head to Steele," Stefanik said.
According to CDOT, the closures are required to accommodate the demolition of the aging Colorado Boulevard bridge.
The closures will also allow continued work on the eventual lowered section of I-70. When completed, CDOT will shift traffic to the new road and start demolition on the decades-old viaduct that drivers currently travel on.
As for the entire Central 70 Project, the goal is to finish by the end of 2022.