I-70 in Denver to close next two weekends

Interstate 70 in Denver is scheduled to close this weekend and next.

Both directions of Interstate 70 are scheduled to close at the Peoria Street bridge on Sept. 13-16.

From 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13, to 5:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 16, I-70 is scheduled to close at Peoria Street.

Construction crews will be demolishing portions of the I-70 bridge over Peoria Street. Traffic will be detoured onto ramps at the intersection. Here is a detour map.

Both directions of Interstate 70 are scheduled to close in Denver the weekend of Sept. 20-23.

The Colorado Department of Transportation says I-70 will close between Steele/Vasquez and I-270 from 10 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20, through 5 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 23.

Construction activities are weather dependent and subject to change.

Construction crews will be setting bridge beams at the Colorado Boulevard bridge and demolishing the old I-270 flyover.

I-70 traffic will be detoured north around the closure via I-270, I-76 and I-25. Here is a detour map.

Click here for traffic and construction alerts.

Central 70 Project, public-private partnership.

The closure and flyover demolition are part of CDOT’s Central 70 Project.

The Central 70 Project will reconstruct a 10-mile stretch of I-70, add one new express lane in each direction, remove an aging 55-year-old viaduct and lower the interstate between Brighton and Colorado boulevards.

Click here for more information on the project.

Work began on the project in mid-2018 and is expected to be completed in 2022. The project is a public-private partnership between CDOT and Kiewit-Meridiam Partners LLC, Englewood, Colo.

Kiewit Meridiam is financing, designing and building the $1.2 billion construction project. It then will operate and maintain the widened 10-mile stretch for three decades. CDOT will make annual payments to Kiewit Meridiam for 30 years.

CDOT will oversee tolling on new express lanes in each direction and keep the revenue from the tolls.

The Denver Post has reported on the deal.

CDOT calls the largest infrastructure initiative in Colorado’s history. About 200,000 vehicles – many of them tractor-trailers – travel the 10-mile stretch of I-70 in the project, according to CDOT.

CDOT asks motorists to obey posted speed limits, expect delays, watch for workers, turn on headlights, anticipate lane shifts, to not cross solid white lines when changing lanes, and allow ample space between vehicles.