Rock blasting, other projects could impact I-70 driving

Projects between Floyd Hill and Den-
ver

Rock-blasting work restarted along I-70
Floyd Hill yesterday (Wednesday), with the
next blasting scheduled for Valentine’s Day,
Wednesday, Feb. 14. In addition, another new
project announced along the interstate near
Golden also may impact travel between Gilpin
and Clear Creek Counties and the metro Den-
ver area.

CDOT
said some
lane re-
strictions
will occur
at various
times at
both project
locations. The new
escape ramp project is expected to be com-
pleted in late May or early June.

Meanwhile, two other CDOT projects
between C-470 and Floyd Hill continue
to impact traffic between Floyd Hill and
C-470 in Golden.

This week and next, parts of I-70 and
U.S. 40 near Genesee will be subject to
closing so CDOT can continue construc-
tion of a wildlife underpass along the
interstate.

Photo courtesy CDOT.

CDOT’s blasting next week along Floyd Hill
will stop traffic on I-70 for 20 minutes. When
blasting occurs, motorists should e xpect a
traffic hold and up to 45 minutes of delay.
A series of airhorn signals will precede each
detonation to warn people in the area. No al-
ternative routes are advised during the traffic
stoppages.

The early-February closures are
scheduled between 7 a.m. and 5:30
p.m. Mondays through Fridays
through Feb. 17. Drivers access-
ing U.S. 40 eastbound can detour
around the closure by using east-
bound I-70 to the Lookout Moun-
tain exit. Westbound drivers can-
not take the exits at Genesee and
Mount Vernon Road.

Project overview
The $700 million I-70 Floyd Hill project will build a
third westbound I-70 travel lane, which will function
as an Express Lane, to improve the current two-lane
bottleneck heading down Floyd Hill westbound. The
new toll lane will begin near the top of Floyd Hill west-
bound and will be a fly-over lane that will end near the
Veterans Memorial Tunnels.

I-70 travelers should know that narrow-
er lanes and shoulders continue to be in
the $700 million project work zone near
Floyd Hill. The transportation department
recommends that motorists follow posted
speed limits and don’t drive distracted.
Slowing down and allowing extra space
between the vehicle ahead of you is ad-
vised.

• Constructing a missing two-mile section of the
frontage road between Evergreen and Idaho
Springs.

The wildlife underpass area has
been ongoing for months near the
top of Genesse Hill and is expected
to be completed this spring. On
unannounced days, the left lane,
heading westbound, is closed to
accommodate the work. Motorists
should read the orange construc-
tion signs heading up I-70 from
Morrison to learn if the work may
impact the traffic flow.

• Building an eastbound I-70 extended on-ramp for
slow-moving vehicles. Improving traffic flow and
access at interchanges and intersections within
the project limits.

Nearby, construction crews continue
working along Highway 40 near the Floyd
Hill/Beaver Brook interchange and at the
highway’s junction with County Road 65.
New roundabouts are being built in both
areas on the north side of I-70. Motorists
are advised to watch for traffic signs and
potential temporary detours.

• Improving sight distance on roadway curves.
Improving the Clear Creek Greenway trail. Imple-
menting environmental mitigation to create safer
wildlife movements and improve air and water
quality and stream conditions an d recreation.

The larger project includes re-
building the eastbound emergency
truck escape ramp between Mt.
Vernon Road (Exit 256) and the
Morrison exit (Exit 259). There will
be overnight double-lane closures
on eastbound I-70 in the vicin-
ity. The emergency ramp has been
closed for weeks.

Driver cautions
CDOT said motorists should expect narrower lanes
and shoulders, reduced speed limits as low as 45 mph
and increased truck traffic entering and exiting the work
zones. All construction activities are weather-dependent
and subject to change. During construction, the exist-
ing I-70 travel lanes will remain open in each direction
during peak daytime travel hours. Lane closure hours
for the duration of construction will vary based on the
season, day of the week, number of lanes being closed
and travel direction.

Highway 6 restrictions
Along Clear Creek Canyon (Highway
6), single-land closures are planned from
5 a.m. to 7 p.m. between mile points 267
and 271.5.

The planned restrictions are part of the
ongoing Peak to Plains Huntsman Gulch
trail project that began last year in Jef-
ferson County, between Highway 119 and
Golden.

The escape ramp work will in-
clude:

Project sections
The Floyd Hill project is divided into three sections.
The East Section is from the west of Evergreen to mid-
way down Floyd Hill near the Black Hawk interchange
(Exit 244). The West Section is from near Exit 243
(Central City Parkway) to the Veterans Memorial Tun-
nels near Idaho Springs. The Central Section is from
the middle of Floyd Hill through Exit 243 (Central
City/Hidden Valley exit). The east section began this
spring and continues through June 2026. The West
section is expected to start this fall and will conclude
in the fall of 2027. The Central section has begun and
will continue into 2028. The East part of the project
includes installing two new traffic roundabouts along
Highway 40, at County Road 65 and Homestead Road.
Flagmen control traffic during some of the daytime
work.

• New signage.

New I-70 Golden closure
Westbound I-70 near Golden will experi-
ence random lane closures until later this
month during weekday hours between 7
a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Drivers accessing west-
bound I-70 can avoid the closure by trav-
eling east on U.S. 40 or I-70 to Lookout
Mountain and taking the on-ramp to the
interstate.

• Larger barriers between the ramp
and the steep embankment.

• Additional cameras.

• New ramp lighting.

• A new design intended to allow late
entry for truckers who miss the
escape ramp entrance.

For information on the Highway 6/Clear Creek
Canyon project being conducted by Jeffco, visit  www.
jeffco.us/P2P . Phone information is available at 720-
893-0403. The email address is peak2plains@gmail.
com. For real-time travel information, visit  www.
COtrip.org.

Drilling soil nails into hillside along Floyd Hill with traffic moving on Interstate 70.