I-70 Floyd Hill Project - Construction

About the Project

The I-70 Floyd Hill project, from west of Evergreen to eastern Idaho Springs, encompasses an eight mile section of the I-70 Mountain Corridor that acts as an economic gateway for the state of Colorado and the nation. Home to long-time residents, dozens of large and small businesses and tourism traffic, this section of I-70 is in desperate need of improvements. CDOT spent several years studying the corridor, meeting with residents, stakeholders and community leaders, and drafting potential solutions for this corridor whose aging infrastructure is long overdue for replacement. Now, with support from stakeholders and national leaders, construction of the I-70 Floyd Hill project is underway and began with its early projects.   

Work this Week & Lane Closures I-70 Floyd Hill

Project Facts

  • Estimated Construction Cost: $700 million 
  • Contractor: Kraemer North America
  • Timeline: June 2023 to 2028
  • Location: Westbound I-70 from east of the Floyd Hill/Beaver Brook exit to Colorado Blvd.
    • Nearest Town: Idaho Springs
    • Mile Points: 241 to 248
    • County: Clear Creek County

Rendering of the completed I-70 Floyd Hill Project’s Central Section looking north

Rendering of the completed I-70 Floyd Hill project’s Central Section looking south

The I-70 Floyd Hill project will:

  • Add a third westbound I-70 travel lane in this two-lane bottleneck
    • This new lane will be a full-time, tolled Express Lane from just west of Homestead Road (Exit 247) through the Veterans Memorial Tunnels to Colorado Blvd./Idaho Springs (Exit 241).
  • Rebuild bridges due to use, wear and tear, and heavy usage
  • Construct a missing two-mile section of the frontage road between US 6 and the Hidden Valley/Central City Parkway interchanges, which will improve emergency response
  • Build an extended on-ramp from US 6 onto eastbound I-70 for slow-moving vehicles to have more room to merge
  • Improve traffic flow and access at interchanges and intersections
  • Improve sight distance and safety by straightening roadway curves
  • Improve the Clear Creek Greenway trail
  • Implement environmental mitigation to enhance wildlife connectivity, air and water quality, stream conditions and recreation
  • Install two permanent air quality monitors

The Project has been designed and will be constructed in three main geographic sections shown on the map below. 

Floyd Hill Project Section Map

Project Benefits

  • Address the bottleneck on I-70 at Floyd Hill and improve travel time reliability
  • Rebuild bridges to today’s safety standards
  • Improve traffic flow and access at interchanges and intersections
  • Improve design speeds and stopping sight distance on horizontal curves
  • Implement environmental mitigation to enhance wildlife connectivity, air and water quality, stream conditions and recreation

Work Schedule

  • Construction on the East Section (I-70 from County Road 65 to the bottom of Floyd Hill) began in July 2023 and will last until summer of 2026.
  • Construction on the West Section (I-70 from Hidden Valley to Idaho Springs) will begin in early 2024 and last until fall 2027.
  • Construction on the Central Section (I-70 from the middle of Floyd Hill to Hidden Valley) will begin in spring 2024 and last until the end of 2028.

Traffic Impacts

During construction, motorists can expect: 

  • Occasional daytime traffic holds during rock blasting and rock scaling operations
  • Overnight lane closures
  • Temporary lane shifts
  • Periodic, temporary on- and off-ramp closures
  • Periodic, overnight detours in the I-70/US 6 interchange and short-term closures of I-70 for safety critical work
  • Occasional daytime 20-minute traffic holds for rock scaling and rock blasting (delays of 45 minutes are anticipated
  • Temporary closures of the Clear Creek Greenway trail

Efforts to keep I-70 moving during construction include:

  • Keeping all lanes and ramps open during peak traffic hours
  • Ensuring lane closures are responsive to current traffic patterns
  • Innovating complex work above the roadway so it doesn’t impede traffic
  • New roadway sections are being built adjacent to current lanes to keep traffic moving
  • Promote the use of transit and carpool options to reduce single occupancy vehicle