Drivers along Interstate 70 west of Denver near Evergreen will face 20-minute stops, then follow-on delays lasting up to 45 minutes, starting Monday as highway construction contractors blast rocks to build a Pegasus bus stop and a parking lot, Colorado Department of Transportation officials said.
These disruptions are expected to last for two weeks – ending around Aug. 23, the CDOT officials said. There will be no detours. CDOT officials said drivers must stay on I-70.
CDOT’s contractors will be breaking up rock and flattening terrain for building a planned I-70 El Rancho Pegasus Shuttle Stop and adjacent 40-spot parking lot with charging stations for electric vehicles — to be completed by December — at I-70 Exit 251, the El Rancho exit near Evergreen.
Starting Monday, drivers delayed along I-70 may hear loud air horn blasts as they wait, intended to warn people shortly before contractors set off explosions.
Contactors plan four detonations, two each week for the next two weeks (no more than one per day). The detonations will happen between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., officials said.
Drivers heading east toward Denver on I-170 will be stopped at County Road 65 (Exit 248). Drivers headed west on I-70 will be stopped at a point between Exits 254 and 256 (the Genesee Wildlife Crossing area). Drivers on U.S. 40 also will face stops just north and south of where U.S. 40 intersects I-70.
Travelers can check traffic conditions by texting “floydhill” to 21000 to receive CDOT emails about the project, by visiting a government website ( codot.gov/projects/i70floydhill), or by calling 720-994-2368.
This month’s rock blasting is the latest step in CDOT’s $800 million effort to reduce traffic congestion on I-70, for which the federal government has committed $100 million. CDOT contractors are re-building an often clogged 8-mile stretch of I-70 between Evergreen and Idaho Springs. The work began last year and is due for completion in 2028. The plans show a new westbound lane, a new ramp linking U.S. 6 to eastbound I-70, and a re-aligned highway above Clear Creek. CDOT officials say curves will be straighter, improving visibility for drivers, and old bridges rebuilt.
More rock blasting and delays are scheduled for September – between the Veterans Memorial Tunnels and Homestead Road (Exit 247), CDOT officials said. So far, work crews along I-70 have unearthed an estimated 97,000 tons of rock.
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