CDOT has plan, but no funds
Officials unveil designs to remove bottleneck on Floyd Hill on Interstate 70
Colorado transportation officials on Tuesday released plans costing up to $550 million to improve the westbound Interstate 70 bottleneck at Floyd Hill by adding an additional lane and even building a tunnel to keep cars moving.
The only problem is the Colorado Department of Transportation doesn’t have the money to start construction. The proposal, though, gives CDOT a jumping off point to address the growing congestion problems along the I-70 mountain corridor from Denver to ski country.
CDOT says it has been working with local elected officials and stakeholders to develop the concept unveiled this week, which they say would accommodate more westbound travelers.
State and federal highway officials have been working with a team of stakeholders, including representatives from Idaho Springs, Clear Creek County, Jefferson County, ski resorts and the general public, since signing a “2011 Record of Decision” about the I-70 mountain corridor and the Floyd Hill study area, said Stacia Sellers, CDOT communications manager.
The plan calls for I-70 to be reconfigured with simplified curves, bridges and walls to improve line of sight and driver safety. That would come in the form of a tunnel at the bottom of the interstate near Idaho Springs and a widening of the westbound lanes from two to three.
“The new westbound I-70 alignment would be placed in a tunnel at the bottom of Floyd Hill to reduce weather impacts and improve driver safety,” CDOT said in a news release. “During construction, the westbound alignment can be built adjacent to existing traffic lanes—limiting impacts to the traveling public.”
The proposal also includes an outline for a shared-use trail between the U.S. 6-I-70 interchange at the bottom of Floyd Hill and the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels at the Continental Divide. CDOT sees a westbound I-70 toll lane, at a cost of $80 million, between Idaho Springs and the tunnels as an interim solution to the congestion issues. A toll lane is already in place along the interstate’s eastbound lanes for that stretch. The Colorado legislature recently agreed to spend $645 million on transportation needs over the next two years and possibly ask voters to borrow $2.34 billion for infrastructure projects moving forward.
Most of the dollars will be allocated to state highway projects. It’s not clear if any of the funds could or would go toward I-70 improvements around Floyd Hill.