The Colorado Department of Transportation is entering a major phase of construction on the I-70 Floyd Hill Project as crews begin building a new westbound I-70 alignment along the hillside south of Clear Creek in Clear Creek County.
The realignment will reduce the steep grade and sharp curve drivers experience today on I-70 at Floyd Hill, improving safety and traffic flow through the mountain corridor (check out the overall Project rendering). A key component of this phase is the construction of a cast-in-place segmental bridge, known as “The Live Lift,” which will carry westbound I-70 in its new alignment. Construction of the segmental bridge will begin this spring and continue through mid-2027.
The Live Lift overview
The new westbound I-70 concrete bridge will be built near the bottom of Floyd Hill at the US 6 Interchange (Exit 244), about 20 to 30 feet above the current I-70 alignment.
A cast-in-place segmental bridge is built in sections. Crews pour 15-foot concrete segments that extend outward from each bridge pier column like balanced arms, forming a “T,” until the full span connects.
Work will begin at the north pier over the current westbound I-70 lanes, then shift to the south pier to complete the span over eastbound I-70 lanes.
Building the bridge above live traffic allows crews to construct longer spans while minimizing impacts to motorists, waterways and surrounding areas. The approach also improves safety for the traveling public and construction crews.
An animation showing how The Live Lift will be constructed is available here.
Traffic impacts
Traffic impacts are expected to be minimal. However, crews will require intermittent overnight I-70 closures during non-peak travel times to install, reposition and remove a movable platform called a form traveler, which is used to construct the bridge in segments.
Eastbound I-70 closures
Two overnight full closures of eastbound I-70 will take place between the US 6 Interchange (Exit 244) and the County Road 65 Interchange (Exit 248):
- 10 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, to 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 1
- 10 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, to 4:30 a.m. Thursday, April 2
Detour: Eastbound I-70 motorists will use the eastbound I-70 off-ramp at Exit 244, travel east on U.S. 40 and use the County Road 65 on-ramp at Exit 248 to return to eastbound I-70.
All work is weather dependent and subject to change. If weather delays construction, closures could occur Tuesday, April 7, and Wednesday, April 8, from 10 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.
Additional overnight closures on westbound I-70 are expected to begin in early April.
The best way to stay informed about traffic impacts on the I-70 Floyd Hill Project is to sign up for text alerts by texting floydhill (one word) to 21000 or to subscribe to weekly traffic advisories at GoI70.com.
As construction progresses, CDOT remains committed to improving safety, mobility and reliability along the I-70 mountain corridor while minimizing impacts to motorists.