RTD will suspend its downtown loop light rail service from late May through September as a part of a $152 million reconstruction project to replace aging infrastructure and rebuild five rail-and-street intersections.
Closures will start May 26, when all D and H line trains will be rerouted to Denver’s Union Station. L Line trains connecting the 30th Avenue/Downing Station to the Downtown Loop will be suspended. No light rail service will operate in the Regional Transportation District’s central corridor through September 2024, RTD officials announced on Wednesday morning.
RTD is taking a more comprehensive approach to maintenance of the 30-year-old track following the discovery in October and November 2022 of track corrosion along Stout Street. RTD officials at the time took precautions, ordering trains to slow to 3 miles per hour on a curve at 19th and Stout for several weeks as repairs were made under the oversight of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, PUC documents show. Between 2012 and 2023, RTD directors spent roughly $19 million on 17 maintenance projects around the central corridor to replace sections of curved rail, switches, crossings, signals, and other rail infrastructure, according to documents presented in a board meeting.
A broad reconstruction encompassing the entire downtown system, planned since last summer in consultation with Denver officials, hasn’t been done since the RTD launched rail service in October 1994.
“It’s time to invest in this important part of our system and ensure it is in a state of good repair for the next 30 years,” RTD communications and engagement chief Stuart Summers said. “After 30 years of continual use, there’s been wear and tear,” including runoff of de-icer salts from adjacent sidewalks that could lead to corrosion. No specific incident spurred the reconstruction of the track, he said.
“We are running trains on it today. If there was any indication that it was not safe, we would not be running trains on it.”
After the first phase of reconstruction is completed in September, work crews will pause until 2025. RTD officials said they hope to have the overall four-phase project done by the end of 2025.
“Maintaining RTD’s assets and infrastructure is essential to preserving the region’s previous investments in its mass transportation system,” RTD general manager Debra Johnson said in a press release.
She wasn’t made available Wednesday to answer questions about the project, but RTD board members voiced support for tackling the maintenance, for which they approved funds last November.
“It would be irresponsible if we didn’t” rebuild the downtown tracks, said board member JoyAnn Ruscha. “I don’t have any knowledge that would suggest it would be unsafe to ride the trains downtown today. The RTD has known for a long time that these rails were going to need replacement. They are nearing the end of their useful life. I am disappointed that it took this long. I am glad it is now getting done.”
RTD board chairman Erik Davidson said, “RTD is acting proactively to ensure the system remains strong for decades to come.”
Several segments of track along the central 5.3-mile corridor between the Interstate 25/Broadway and 30th Avenue/Downing stations require a full reconstruction, which entails removing all current rail infrastructure, concrete, ties, and ballasts, officials said. Work crews also plan to address water drainage systems beneath tracks before rebuilding each segment.
Rail and street intersections to be reconstructed during the first phase are at 15th and Stout Street, 17th and Stout Street, 15th and California Street, 17th and California Street, and Broadway and Welton Street.
Denver and RTD officials have been discussing street closures and traffic detour plans. Vehicle drivers downtown can expect rerouting to merge traffic into single lanes or around intersections.
RTD’s bus routes along 15th and 17th streets may also be affected during the reconstruction work, agency officials said. As light rail trains are rerouted to Denver Union Station, RTD officials plan to temporarily reintroduce a free MetroRide service along 18th and 19th streets with multiple stops.
Starting in 2025, later phases of the reconstruction include additional work downtown and work along Colfax Avenue. A fourth phase will consist of work along Welton Street.
Civil engineer Richard Bamber, who worked for RTD from 2011 to 2017 as a contractor on rail lines and co-founded the Greater Denver Transit advocacy group, said the age of the track necessitates reconstruction.
“Light rail maintenance downtown has been done with a piecemeal and reactive approach,” he said. “The November 2022 incident with the PUC has spurred a more comprehensive approach.”
Transit on the RTD’s southeastern suburban rail lines also has been disrupted for maintenance. Construction crews have been working to re-anchor concrete panels along E, H, and R line tracks. Trains at times were re-routed onto single tracks.
Before the downtown reconstruction begins, transit riders are encouraged to sign up for agency service alerts and can find project information at rtd-denver.com/railproject. Last year, agency statistics show, 12.7 metro Denver residents rode the rail lines downtown.