The I-70 Floyd Hill Project will improve eight miles of the I-70 mountain corridor, from west of Evergreen to eastern Idaho Springs. The Project will deliver a third westbound I-70 travel lane, which will function as an Express Lane, to improve the current two-lane bottleneck. Other major elements include constructing a missing two-mile section of the frontage road between Evergreen and Idaho Springs, building an eastbound I-70 extended on-ramp for slow-moving vehicles, rebuilding bridges due to heavy usage and wear and tear, improving traffic flow and access at interchanges and intersections within the project limits, improving sight distance on roadway curves, improving the Clear Creek Greenway trail, and implementing environmental mitigation to create safer wildlife movements and improve air and water quality, stream conditions, and recreation.
Construction began in July 2023 and Westbound I-70 will be in its new alignment by the end of 2027 and eastbound I-70 will be in its new alignment by the end of 2028, with the entire Project complete in 2029.
Check out the January 2025 press release on progress in 2024 and plans in 2025.
Project Contact Information
For additional information about this Project:
- Visit the Project website at: codot.gov/projects/i70floydhill
- Call the Project information line at 720-994-2368 (CDOT)
- Email the Project team at: cdot_floydhillproject@state.co.us
- Text floydhill (one word) to 21000 for text alerts
Road Conditions: COtrip.org
COtrip Planner App: bit.ly/COtripapp
Project Travel Alerts: bit.ly/COnewsalerts
Lane Closures: bit.ly/laneclosures
Gilpin County School District Capital Construction Project - Restarting March 24, 2025
Gilpin County School District will construct a sewer pipe from the school, 10595 Colorado Highway 119, to the Black Hawk Central City Sanitation District. The connection point is at the Black Hawk Fire Station, 7457 Black Hawk Blvd, Colorado Highway 119.
Colorado Highway 119 will be excavated in the northbound lane to construct the sewer pipe. Phase I construction began in the northbound lane of Colorado Highway 119 at the Black Hawk Fire Station and proceeded north to the Hidden Treasure parking area between August and November 2024.
Phase 2 construction will begin between the overflow parking area and the Hidden Treasure parking area starting on March 24, 2025.
One lane traffic will occur during construction, from March 24, 2025 through November 2025. During this period:
- Expect delays of approximately 5 minutes.
- One lane traffic will occur for approximately 3000 feet.
- Automatic “red/green” traffic light controllers will be in use 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
For additional information, contact ESCO Construction Project Manager Kyle Griffin, kgriffin@escomailbox.com. Check the Gilpin School District website for up-to-date information on this project.
The on-site wastewater treatment plant groundwater discharge has been non-compliant for more than a decade. After a feasibility study, the Board of Education determined the best use of taxpayer revenue was to construct a sewer pipe and connect the school facility with the Black Hawk Central City Sanitation District.
Six-day closure of US 6 in Clear Creek Canyon for pedestrian bridge, underpass work
US Highway 6 through Clear Creek Canyon is scheduled to be closed the week of April 20 to set two, 200-foot-long pedestrian bridges and build a pedestrian underpass beneath the highway.
Crews with Concrete Express, Inc. will use two large cranes to pick and set the two pedestrian bridges on the west side of Tunnel 1, adjacent to the historic Welch Ditch. Crews will also excavate about 17 feet below US 6, and a crane will be positioned on the roadway to lift nine concrete boxes into place. The boxes, each about 10 feet tall and 14 feet wide, will extend beneath the entire width of US 6 to connect a recreation trail being built on the south side of the highway to a trailhead parking area under construction on the north side.
This work is part of the Huntsman Segment of the Peaks to Plains Trail through Clear Creek Canyon and requires closing US 6 between Colorado Highway (CO) 119 and the junction of CO 58 and 93 at the gateway to the canyon. This 11-mile section of US 6 will be closed from 9 p.m. Sunday, April 20, until 7 p.m. Saturday, April 26. This work is weather-dependent, and if it’s canceled, it will be rescheduled for the following week.
Drivers should use I-70 and US 6 between I-70 and CO 119 to detour around this work. Note that eastbound I-70 drivers will be able to access Black Hawk via US 6 and Highway 119 from Exit 244.
There will be no traffic holds on I-70 for rock blasting or rock scaling work on the I-70 Floyd Hill Project during this six-day closure.
The Huntsman Segment of the Peaks to Plains Trail is a 3-mile section of ADA-compliant trail connecting with the Gateway Segment completed in August 2021 and continuing west to Huntsman Gulch.
Concrete is in place for the viaduct section of the Huntsman Segment. This section of trail is expected to open later this year.
In addition to the 10-foot-wide concrete trail along Clear Creek, this Jefferson County Open Space project will include two new trailheads with parking and restroom facilities, seven bridges over Clear Creek and one bridge over US 6, an underpass beneath US 6, safer access to the creek for fishing and boating, and an enhanced riparian habitat. The Huntsman Segment broke ground in 2022 and a portion of the trail is expected to open later this year, with the entire 3-mile stretch from Tunnel 1 to Huntsman Gulch complete by the end of 2026.
Stay Informed:
You can use these resources from Jefferson County to stay informed on the project and planned closures:
- Website: Jeffco Peaks to Plains Trail Project page
- Email: peaks2plains@gmail.com
- Phone: (720) 893-0403
Sign up for Jeffco "Notifyme" alerts:
- Visit the Jeffco Notifyme page.
- Add your email address to the top and click sign in.
- You can opt to receive emails and / or text messages.
- Scroll down to the third section titled "Alerts" and find P2P/US Hwy 6 - Trail Construction Closures.
You are also encouraged to check COtrip.org for real-time lane closures and traffic impacts associated with area projects.