Highway 40 closed from Genesee to Lookout Mountain for Colorado Wildlife Underpass project

Highway 40 was closed Monday morning for the I-70 and Genesee Wildlife Underpass project. U.S. 40 will be closed from 7 a.m. Monday to 5:30 p.m. Thursday between Genesee and Lookout Mountain. 

This is for the Genesee Wildlife Underpass project as roadway excavation crews install a structure, grates and fencing to guide wildlife to the new underpass. 

Drivers are urged to use the following detour:

To access eastbound US 40, use eastbound I-70 to Lookout Mountain (Exit 254). Motorists on westbound US 40 can access local side streets but cannot reach the Genesee and Mount Vernon interchange.    

Next week, there will be a full closure of the Genesee on-ramp to westbound I-70 at 7 a.m. Monday, Feb. 12  to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15  as part of the project. Drivers are urged to travel on eastbound US 40 or eastbound I-70 and use the Lookout Mountain (Exit 256) on-ramp to westbound I-70 as a detour. 

The I-70 & Genesee Wildlife Underpass project includes construction of a wildlife underpass at approximately I-70 Mile Point 254.5 which is in between the exits for Lookout Mountain and Genesee. That area has been identified as a hotspot for wildlife-vehicle collisions and has the highest number of wildlife-vehicle collisions on I-70 east of the Eisenhower Johnston Memorial Tunnel. 

Wildlife fencing will be placed along both sides of I-70 and extend from the I-70 and Genesee exit, Exit 254, to the I-70 and Lookout Mountain exit, Exit 256. 

So far, crews have placed both the eastbound and westbound wildlife underpass structures and a majority of the wildlife fencing has been placed. The project is set to be completed later this spring. 

The remaining work includes completing excavation under the overpass, installing wildlife cameras, and some other finishing touches.