The widening of westbound Interstate 70 at the Twin Tunnels in Idaho Springs is part of a $55 million package of improvements approved Thursday designed to speed up the heavy traffic that clogs the highway on weekends.
Work on the westbound expansion is scheduled to begin this spring and should be complete by the end of this year.
The Colorado Department of Transportation’s commission approved the funding for the westbound expansion as well as an agreement that paves the way for other, smaller improvements at the Twin Tunnels.
“Both of these initiatives mark significant progress for one of the most challenging transportation issues facing Colorado,” CDOT executive director Don Hunt said in a news release.
CDOT recently completed a $106 million project that increased the eastbound approach to the Twin Tunnels to three lanes and expanded the opening of the tunnel to encourage drivers to keep speeds up through the area.
The westbound project will use the same environmental analysis and equipment and detours in place for the original project, saving at least $6 million.
The eastbound construction took eight months of rock blasting, rock bolting and paving.
One short-term project being pursued is the construction of an eastbound Peak Period Shoulder Lane, which would allow the I-70 shoulder between Empire and Idaho Springs to be used as an express toll lane during peak travel periods.
CDOT says this will expand capacity of the highway without expanding its footprint.
A westbound peak period shoulder lane also is being considered.
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907, mwhaley@denverpost.com or twitter.com/montewhaley
