THORNTON — State highway officials are punching the accelerator on two major road projects this weekend, including work on Interstate 25 north of Denver that will clog northbound traffic between 84th Avenue and Thornton Parkway.
But planners say the inconvenience to thousands of motorists will be worth it, because it speeds up the completion of the $66 million I-25 Express Lanes plan by 50 days.
“This approach seems to be well-received by people,” said Crystal Morgan, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation. “It has the highest impact on motorists, but it’s over the shortest amount of time.”
The project calls for the addition of a tolled express lane in each direction of I-25 from U.S. 36 to 120th Avenue. CDOT said travel time on the corridor will be reduced 22 percent in the express lanes and 10 percent in the general purpose lanes.
Part of the work requires the lowering of I-25 pavement underneath 88th Avenue. That will improve the the vertical clearance by about 1 foot, said CDOT.
To accommodate crews, starting Friday at 10 p.m., a single lane on northbound I-25 will be closed between 84th Avenue and Thornton Parkway. It will be reopened Monday at 5:30 a.m. The on-ramp to northbound I-25 at 84h Avenue will also be closed.
Other closures are planned in the near future, including another weekend single-lane closure in August.
But all the weekend work will pay off in the long run, said CDOT project engineer Andrew Stratton. “Originally, this part of the construction was going to take up to 100 days, but by doing it now, we will shorten it to about 50 days,” Stratton said.
A local transit advocacy group — Smart Commute Metro North — is offering several deals through the I-25 construction. They include free Regional Transportation District 10-ride ticket books and individual rates of $100 a month to new van poolers along the corridor.
“I think people want choices on how to get to work and back during this process, and we want to give them those options,” said Karen Stuart, executive director.
Also starting this weekend, crews will begin the reconstruction of the intersection of Jordan Road and Arapahoe Road. Work begins Saturday at midnight and is slated to be done by Aug. 16, said CDOT.
Normally, the resurfacing would be done in four months. But CDOT is pushing a 24-hour schedule of work that will get things done in 20 days, Morgan said.
