Two intersections in Denver’s Central Business District will be closed for weeks as construction continues on the Regional Transportation District’s downtown rail reconstruction project.
RTD crews started construction Monday at the intersection of Stout and 15th streets, and at the intersection of California and 15th streets, according to a news release from the department.
The work along 15th Street, which is expected to last about three weeks, will be conducted simultaneously at both intersections, the release stated.
One lane will remain open on both Stout and California streets between 14th and 16th streets, but sidewalks and crosswalks are closed on the east side of California Street and the west side of Stout Street, according to RTD officials.
To help commuters avoid the backlogged areas and stay on time, RTD officials said the free MallRide service will operate between Denver Union Station and Champa Street, and service will temporarily be suspended between Curtis Street and Civic Center Station until the rail reconstruction work is completed in September.
Customers needing to connect to Civic Center Station beyond Curtis Street are encouraged to use the Free MetroRide service as an alternative within the Central Business District, RTD officials said. The Free MetroRide route started in May to support riders during the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project.
The MetroRide operates along 18th and 19th streets between Civic Center and Union Station every 10 minutes between 5:45 a.m. and 7 p.m. every day of the week, RTD officials said. The MallRide also operates on a 10-minute frequency.
Light rail service began in Denver on October 7, 1994, with 5.3 miles of track, RTD officials said.
Much of today’s downtown light rail tracks — commonly referred to as the Downtown Loop — have been in place since the line was first constructed, officials said.
“RTD is doing a full-depth reconstruction of this section of rail to improve safety and mobility, address deteriorating transit infrastructure and extend the design life of the agency’s key transportation assets,” RTD officials stated.
De-icer chemicals corroding steel rails and cracking concrete along tracks created potentially catastrophic risks detected in October and November 2022, state Public Utilities Commission records show.
RTD supervisors took precautions, directing train operators to slow speeds to 3 mph along downtown curves until repairs were completed. Then, RTD officials told PUC safety regulators that a comprehensive overhaul would be necessary.
The work along 15th Street is the reconstruction project’s second step, RTD officials said. Construction crews already completed work at the intersection of Broadway and Welton Street.
After the work along 15th Street is finished, construction crews will move to 17th Street and reconstruct that road’s intersections with California and Stout streets. The work along 17th Street is also anticipated to last three weeks.
Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.
Originally Published: July 16, 2024 at 10:35 a.m.
