CDOT warns Colorado drivers to expect delays along I-70 in high country due to rock blasting

The Colorado Department of Transportation is advising drivers to expect delays as work on improvements along Interstate 70 near Idaho Springs gets underway.

The interstate was briefly shut down for rock blasting Tuesday afternoon. Crews drilled around 150 holes 20 feet deep and filled them with explosives to conduct the blasting above westbound I-70 between the Hidden Valley interchange and the Veterans Memorial Tunnels.

The Floyd Hill Project includes plans to build bridges and flatten and straighten the highway between Floyd Hill and Idaho Springs. According to CDOT, the project will increase travel time reliability, increase capacity on the highway, replace bridges and improve the distance drivers can see on roadway curves. Plans include the construction of a third westbound travel lane, which will function as an express lane.

CDOT officials said, "This stretch of I-70 is one of the most congested locations on the westbound I-70 mountain corridor. High-traffic volume on I-70 west of Denver has led to ever-increasing periods of slow traffic, which, at times, approaches a gridlock situation. This area also is heavily impacted by adverse weather conditions."

Crews began removing loose rock from cliffsides in September and began blasting in late October.

The work will require hundreds of traffic holds along I-70, said CDOT officials. They advised drivers that there is no detour route and to plan for delays up to 45 minutes as traffic queues clear. Construction is expected to conclude in late 2028.

Drivers can use cotrip.org for real-time traffic information.