CDOT Selects Team for US 6 Design-Build Safety and Mobility Project

May 9, 2013 - Denver Metro Colorado/CDOT Region 6 - DENVER—The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has selected the team of Felsburg Holt & Ullevig (FHU) and Edward Kraemer and Sons, Inc. for the US 6 design-build project that will reconstruct 6th Ave. (US 6) from Knox Court to just east of I-25, replace five bridges that are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete and improve the Federal Boulevard/US 6 interchange.

“We are extremely excited to have a team selected for this critical transportation improvement project,” said Kevin Sullivan, CDOT Project Director. “This project will provide many benefits to the Denver metro area and for the state of Colorado. We will not only make our transportation system safer and more efficient, but we can also support economic and job growth.”

FHU and Edward Kraemer and Sons, Inc. were selected from three design-build teams that submitted proposals. CDOT evaluated the proposals based on the project goals and criteria to manage impacts during construction, maximize the use of available funds and demonstrate a commitment to enhance the established project values of maximizing safety, quality, environmental and project communications.

“We identified specific work that was required and within our budget, but were looking for a team that would provide additional value and improvements so we can stretch our funding as far as possible,” added Sullivan. “The selected team went above and beyond to identify innovative methods to ensure that additional improvements will be made to greatly improve this busy corridor.”

CDOT’s original scope of the project included the following components:

  • Replacement of five bridges: US 6 over Bryant Street, US 6 over the South Platte River, US 6 over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad east of I-25, US 6 over I-25 and Federal Boulevard over US 6;
  • Improvements to the I-25/US 6 interchange that will improve mobility
  • Partial closure of the Bryant Street interchange to help improve safety and mobility
  • Completion of the diamond interchange at US 6/Federal Boulevard with slip ramps to Bryant Street;
  • A braided ramp providing access from Federal Boulevard to eastbound US 6
  • Improvements to Federal Boulevard between 5th Avenue and 7th Avenue;
  • Upgrading portions of the South Platte River Trail to current standards;
  • Reconstruction of US 6 with collector-distributor roads/auxiliary lanes from Federal Boulevard to the BNSF Railroad Bridge Structure;
  • Reconstruction and updates to Barnum Park including a bicycle/pedestrian bridge connecting Barnum and Barnum North Parks

Proposers were then asked if they would complete additional work above and beyond the original scope. FHU and Edward Kraemer and Sons, Inc. committed to additional work including:

  • Extending the northbound I-25 collector-distributor road, including the necessary bridge;
  • Resurfacing the existing eastbound and westbound US 6 to northbound I-25 flyover bridge;
  • Reconstructing US 6 from Knox Court to just east of I-25 near the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad
  • Various bridge repairs to the flyover ramps at the I-25/6th Avenue interchange.
  • As well as additional scope and amenities to all the parks within the project limits.

In addition to updating our aging infrastructure, motorists will experience improved operations at the US 6/I-25 and US 6/Bryant Street interchanges. Several challenging weave movements on eastbound and westbound US 6 will be replaced with direct connection ramps, separating each movement into an exclusive lane, while maintaining access to Bryant Street. The project will also improve traffic operations on northbound I-25  by separating traffic exiting to US 6 from through traffic on northbound I-25, allowing the I-25 traffic and traffic exiting to US 6 to function independently.

Design of the $98 million project will likely begin in June with construction starting in the fall of 2013. The project is estimated to be complete by the end of July 2016.

For more information about this project and to sign up for email updates regarding construction progress and impacts, visit http://www.coloradodot.info/projects/US6Bridges.