Construction Bulletin

As construction progresses we will post photos and information regarding the construction of the Climbing Lanes, Phase II project! 

The Public Information Manager is Tony Maccioli who is available weekdays between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm. The Public Information Service hotline phone number is (303) 663-2152. November 2001 Notice - Special Traffic Alert On Tuesday Night, November 20, 2001 starting at 8:00 pm and finishing by 5:30 am, Southbound I-25 from Castle Pines Parkway (Exit 188) to Meadows/Founders Parkway (Exit 184) will be realigned to its final configuration seven months ahead of schedule. The planned inside third lane will not be opened at this time in order to facilitate the construction of the permanent median concrete barrier. Motorists should expect delays overnight. In the morning of November 21, 2001, southbound motorists will notice new ramp configurations at the Castle Pines Parkway (Exit 188) On-Ramp, Happy Canyon (Exit 187) On and Off-Ramps and the Meadows/Founders Parkway (Exit 184) Off-Ramp. Southbound mainline I-25 will be significantly different from before and as such motorists should pay extra attention to signs. Northbound I-25 motorists will not be affected by delays or changes at this time. Latest schedule information (subject to weather limitations) The project is currently in the Phase 4 construction sequence. This consists of the Northbound and Southbound Lanes of I-25 using the future Northbound side of the highway. The traffic is separated by temporary concrete barrier and the highway has a reduced inside shoulder width of 2 feet and an outside shoulder width of 8 feet. There are restricted areas due to accommodating interchange ramps where the outside shoulder has been reduced to 2 feet as well. When the project is complete the inside shoulder will be 10 feet wide and the outside shoulder will be 22 feet wide. There will be 3 through lanes each direction. The outside shoulder will be wide enough to accommodate a future lane when the highway is widened to 8 lanes North of Exit 188 to Lincoln Ave. The project is currently scheduled for completion on June 6, 2002. This is Three months ahead of the original completion date of September 15, 2002. The good news is that we are planning to switch the South Bound Lanes to their final configuration on November 20, 2001. Once the traffic is switched, work will begin on the median concrete barrier. In order to facilitate the construction of the barrier, the southbound lanes will remain at two lanes until the barrier is complete (Early concrete barrier finish date scheduled for January 9, 2002) and then the third SB lane will open. Once the median barrier is finished, the remaining concrete barrier currently separating NB and SB traffic will be removed and the NB traffic will be switched into the final configuration. Some work is highly temperature dependent and will be completed when temperatures allow in the springtime. This work consists of various punchlist items, final striping, and final seeding. It is important to note that construction schedules are highly weather dependent and as such, the preceding schedule information is the best case scenario. Northbound I-25 (inside lane) at Exit 184 (in the vicinity of the NB Exit 184 Off-Ramp) will be reduced to one lane on Friday November 9, 2001 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. The Northbound Exit 184 diamond-on and loop-on ramps will not be affected. On Friday November 9, 2001, Southbound I-25 in the vicinity of the SB diamond-on ramp will also be affected from 9:00 am to noon with the inside lane being closed for this period. Motorists should expect significant delays. On Saturday November 10, 2001. Northbound I-25 will be reduced to one lane beginning at 7:00 am and continuing until noon. At noon Northbound will resume with two lane operation and Southbound I-25 will drop to one lane only. South Bound will resume with two lane operation at 4:00 pm. Please Note: This work cannot be performed at night due to temperature constraints affecting the quality of the final asphalt pavement surface. We are appologize for any delays encountered on Friday and Saturday. The Public Information Manager is Tony Maccioli who is available weekdays between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm. The Public Information Service hotline phone number is (303) 663-2152. Thank you for your patience while we improve I-25 for your safety and convenience. Photographs and Construction History October 2001 - The I-25 Project between Castle Pines Parkway and Founders / Meadows Parkway is on going. Construction of the new highway segment of I-25 northbound is complete. Traffic is currently in the Phase 4 configuration, which consists of North Bound and South Bound traffic on the new concrete (Future North Bound Concrete) separated by median concrete barrier. Temporary concrete barrier has also been placed on the west edge of the new highway to separate the traveling public from the new southbound lanes work zone. Construction on the southbound portion of the highway currently consists of concrete paving, retaining walls, pipe and drainage installation, electrical, earthwork and noise from construction. Please be prepared to stop for construction vehicles at all ramps throughout the month. Concrete paving is ongoing and is scheduled to be complete by late October after which traffic will be switched to accommodate construction of median concrete barrier wall. The Happy Canyon and Castle Pines Bridges have been milled and will be overlayed on Sunday 10/14/01 in the morning hours, weather permitting. This work will only take a few hours and then work on the bridges will be complete. Please be prepared for ramp changes throughout the month. After concrete ramps are completed traffic will be re-directed into a new configuration to accommodate all concrete paving. Currently Happy Canyon and Castle Pines ramps are scheduled to be switched October 21st. Also, all southbound traffic will be switched onto the new concrete from the Founders / Meadows off ramp to the south to accommodate asphalt and drainage work in the median south of founders / Meadows bridge. September 2001 - The I-25 Project between Castle Pines Parkway and Founders / Meadows Parkway is on going. Construction of the new highway segment of I-25 northbound is complete. Traffic has been switched into the Phase 4 configuration, which consists of North Bound and South Bound traffic on the new concrete (Future North Bound Concrete) separated by median concrete barrier. Temporary concrete barrier has also been placed on the west edge of the new highway to separate the traveling public from the new southbound lanes work zone. Construction on the southbound portion of the highway concurrently consists of retaining walls, pipe and drainage installation, electrical, earthwork and noise berm construction. Please be prepared to stop at all ramps for construction traffic. Concrete paving will begin on September 5th and is scheduled to be complete by late October. Happy Canyon/ Castle Pines Bridges are now scheduled for late September to mill and overlay the deck to repair the rough bridge deck. One-way traffic will be required for this work, for about one week. Happy Canyon/ Castle Pines Bridges are now scheduled for late September to mill and overlay the deck to repair the rough bridge deck. One-way traffic will be required for this work, for about one week. August 2001 - The I-25 Project between Castle Pines Parkway and Founders / Meadows Parkway is on going. Construction of the new highway segment of I-25 northbound is complete. Traffic has been switched into the Phase 4 configuration, which consists of North Bound and South Bound traffic on the new concrete (Future North Bound Concrete) separated by median concrete barrier. Temporary concrete barrier has also been placed on the west edge of the new highway to separate the traveling public from the new southbound lanes work zone. The South bound Happy Canyon (Exit 187) off ramp is scheduled to be relocated to a new temporary ramp in mid-August once earthwork and paving have been completed. This ramp was not switched into this configuration previously because of the NB/SB elevation difference, which currently exists. Construction on the southbound portion of the highway has begun. Please be prepared to stop at all ramps for construction traffic. Clear & grub operations will begin in mid to late July followed by earthwork and noise berm construction. Concrete paving will begin in early September and is scheduled to be complete by late October. July 2001 - The I-25 Project between Castle Pines Parkway and Founders / Meadows Parkway is on going. Detour paving is complete and traffic is switched into the Construction Phase 3 configuration. Construction of the new highway segment for future I-25 northbound is almost complete. Permanent guardrail and temporary detour striping remain and will be complete by July 10, 2001. Northbound traffic will be switched onto the new concrete highway on Wednesday night July 11, 2001 starting at 9:30pm. Motorists should expect delays and be prepared for new ramp configurations due to the new alignment. Once Northbound is switched to the new concrete the temporary concrete barrier and glare screen will then be placed on the centerline to facilitate a head to head traffic configuration. Temporary concrete barrier will also be placed on the west edge of the new highway detour to separate the traveling public from the new southbound lanes work zone. Southbound traffic will be switched to the recently completed concrete by July 26, 2001. Work will then commence on the future South Bound lanes (Construction Phase 4). Construction on the remaining portion of the highway will begin in full force after the July 26, 2001, traffic switch. Clear & grub operations will begin in mid to late July followed by earthwork and the West side noise berm construction. Concrete paving will begin in mid September and is scheduled to be complete in early November. When all highway construction is complete both I-25 northbound and I-25 southbound traffic will have three travel lanes, centerline barrier and shoulders on each side. July 2001 Looking North from Meadows/Founders Exit 184. July 2001 Looking North from the top of Happy Canyon Bridge Exit 187. July 2001 Looking South from Happy Canyon Bridge. July 2001 Finishing concrete slabs prior to opening the road. July 2001 Installing final lighting for North Bound. May 2001 - The I-25 Project between Castle Pines Parkway and Founders / Meadows Parkway is on going. Detour paving is complete and traffic is switched into the Phase 3 configuration. Construction of the new highway segment of I-25 northbound has begun and will continue through the spring months as weather permits. The main focus of operations will be the future North Bound Concrete Pavement, earthwork and east side noise berms. Once the Noise Berms have been completed, the seeding and mulching will occur to maximize the spring moisture. You may have noticed the Concrete Batch plant located on the North East Quadrant of Castle Pines. The Concrete for the pavement will be batched here and then trucked to the completed sub-grade. The contractor is finishing up rough grading and placing a string line for accurate grade control of the pavement. Concrete paving of the new northbound lanes began March 29, 2001 and should be completed by the end of June. In the next couple of weeks, ramp configurations at North Bound Meadows/Founders, Happy Canyon, and Castle Pines Parkway Interchanges will be adjusted. Use extra caution and watch for variable Message Board Information. Watch for Construction Vehicle Traffic crossing ramps and Flaggers directing traffic at ramps. Upon the completion of the northbound concrete pavement all traffic will shift to the new concrete. This is defined as the Phase 4 project configuration. In Phase 4, work will then commence on the I-25 south bound side. When all highway construction is complete both I-25 northbound and I-25 southbound traffic will have three travel lanes, centerline barrier and shoulders on each side. The earthwork south of Lincoln Avenue is complete and has acted to stabilize an ancient landslide area for your traveling safety. The concrete paving has been placed in the shoulder and the traffic has been reconfigured into the final configuration. Right of Way fence must still be finished in this area, but will not affect the traveling public. For your safety and convenience we have increased the original quantity of glare screen and re-striped the project. The electrical wiring problem with the temporary lighting is now fixed for better visibility at the ramps throughout the project limits. When the project is complete new lighting will improve the visibility at Castle Pines, Happy Canyon and Founders / Meadows. April 2001 April 2001 The concrete batch plant is shown filling the first concrete pavement truck on the project! Concrete is used for permanent roadway pavement! April 2001 Northbound roadway ready for pavement North of Meadows Founders Parkway Interchange. April 2001 Concrete paving machine placing concrete pavement North of Meadows Founders Parkway Interchange. April 2001 Close-up of a concrete paving machine that the crew is preparing for another day of paving. April 2001 Fresh earth shaped to form a new berm. April 2001 East side of the new berm. March 2001 - The I-25 Project between Castle Pines Parkway and Founders / Meadows Parkway is on going. Detour paving is complete and traffic is switched into the Phase 3 configuration. Construction of the new highway segment of I-25 northbound has begun and will continue through the winter months as weather permits. The main focus of operations will be earthwork and east side noise berms. Once the Noise Berms have been completed, the seeding and mulching will occur to maximize the spring moisture. You may have noticed the Concrete Batch plant located on the North East Quadrant of Castle Pines. The Concrete for the pavement will be batched here and then trucked to the completed sub-grade. The contractor is finishing up rough grading and placing a string line for accurate grade control of the pavement. Concrete paving of the new northbound lanes is scheduled to begin March 26, 2001 and should be completed by the end of June. On March 9, 2001 we Re-striped the North Bound and South Bound Lanes during the daytime. We are Sorry for the inconvenience of the traffic jam that ensued. This was not done to avoid nighttime work but rather to take advantage of placing epoxy paint in warmer weather. If you can imagine trying to paint your own home in freezing weather at night, you can imagine that it would not look good or hold up very well. We are hoping that by enduring this small disruption that the paint will hold up until we place the traffic onto the new concrete. The striping will look much better during the interim then if painted in cold weather and will save thousands of dollars of taxpayer money. Upon the completion of the northbound lanes construction will shift to I-25 south bound. When all highway construction is complete both I-25 northbound and I-25 southbound traffic will have three travel lanes, centerline barrier and shoulders on each side. Motorists can expect to see fog rising from the east side work area from the sub grade during the month of March. This process is called Lime stabilization and is being done to stabilize the swelling soils in certain areas of the project. There is earthwork being performed south of Lincoln Avenue where some 200,000 cubic meters of dirt will be removed in order to stabilize an ancient landslide. Most of the earthwork has already been completed and final grading and topsoil will commence soon. When this work is complete concrete paving will be placed in the shoulder and traffic will be reconfigured into the final configuration. This work is tentatively scheduled for completion by April 30, 2001. For your safety and convenience we have increased the original quantity of glare screen and re-striped the project. The electrical wiring problem with the temporary lighting is now fixed for better visibility at the ramps throughout the project limits. When the project is complete new lighting will improve the visibility at Castle Pines, Happy Canyon and Founders / Meadows. March 2001 Completed Sub-Grade, just about ready for the new concrete pavement! March 2001 Pipe Crew installing precast concrete inlet and reinforced concrete pipe. March 2001 Rubber Tire Backhoe excavating earth for soil nail wall. January - February 2001 - Detour paving is complete and traffic is switched into the Phase 3 configuration. Construction of the new highway segment of I-25 northbound has begun and will continue through the winter months as weather permits. The main focus of operations will be earthwork and the Noise Berms on the East Side of the highway. Concrete paving of the new northbound lanes is scheduled to begin in mid March and should be completed by the end of June. The Northbound Vertical Alignment is changing as part of this project. You will notice Earthmoving equipment removing the old concrete and asphalt and removing earth (or adding earth) to lower (or raise) the profile to the new height. The milled asphalt is utilized as a premium base course where the road is only raised a minimum of one foot above the old highway elevations. The contractor has also mined high quality sand and has stockpiled this sand to be utilized for a minimum of 2 feet of sand below the new concrete pavement. Pipe extensions and revised drainage necessary to accommodate the noise Berms is also being installed. Soil Nail Walls are also being installed to allow for the widening under the Happy Canyon Bridge and to stabilize the cut slope 1 mile South of Happy Canyon, this will also minimize the removal of trees in this area. Just South of Exit 191 on the West Side of the Highway you will notice Earthmoving equipment taking down the hillside. This is because a Large Landslide has occurred in this area. It was determined that since this area is in an ancient landslide area, this best way to stabilize the slope is to flatten the slope from an existing 2:1 to a new 3:1 slope. This work should be completed in the next two months. The missing concrete pavement will be added in this area when it is complete and then traffic will be able to utilize the full shoulders in this area. Top Soil will be replaced and this area will be seeded. Upon the completion of the northbound lanes construction will shift to I-25 south bound. When all highway construction is complete both I-25 northbound and I-25 southbound traffic will have three travel lanes, centerline barrier and shoulders on each side, and will continue the improvements just completed on the Climbing Lanes, Phase I project. January 2001 A wafer wall being constructed to correct a severe erosion problem in a drainage channel. January 2001 The existing roadway is being milled and the millings are being reused as a base coarse below the new concrete. January 2001 Many new pipes and inlets are being added to reflect new more stringent design standards. January 2001 At Exit 191 on the West Side of I-25, we are removing 190,000 cubic meters of earth that has started to move due to a landslide. When this work is finished in a couple of months, this area will recieve new topsoil and be reseeded. December 2000 - The I-25 Climbing Lanes Phase II project progressed ahead of schedule. Traffic was in the Phase III configuration with North Bound and South Bound Traffic physically separated by concrete barrier and a two-foot wide inside shoulder. This configuration allowed for the construction of the Earthwork and Noise Berms necessary to proceed with the North Bound Concrete paving which will be starting in March 2001. Over the next couple of months, the North Bound Lanes will be lowered to within 1 meter of the South Bound Lanes. 943,127 cubic meters of soil are being moved to construct this project. In addition, 293,000 square meters of concrete pavement will be constructed along with 14,335 linear meters of guardrail, pipes, box culverts, walls, lighting, Variable Message Signs, etc. During the Phase III Configuration, the ramps at the Meadow/Founders, Castle Pines, and Happy Canyon Interchanges will be in a detour configuration. The ramps are being reconstructed to modern standards and new lighting that will improve nighttime visibility. Motorists were cautioned to drive with care, watch for messages posted on the variable message signs and obey posted speed limits. Phase IV should start in the summer of 2001 - During this phase all traffic will be switched to the new North Bound concrete while the Earthwork, drainage, South Bound concrete and concrete median barrier is constructed. December 2000 Soil Nail Wall being constructed to minimize tree loss and improve slope stability December 2000 Earthmoving equipment hauling soil north of Happy Canyon Interchange. December 2000 MSE type drainage cut off wall south of Castle Pines Parkway Interchange December 2000 Concrte Box Culvert (CBC) northeast of Happy Canyon Interchange November 2000 - The I-25 Climbing Lanes Phase II project is progressing on schedule. In late November, North Bound traffic was moved onto the new detour pavement on the existing West side of the highway. Traffic was configured head to head separated by a 2 foot inside shoulder and concrete barrier, with a 10 foot outside shoulder. South Bound traffic had already been switched to the new west side detour pavement. The Southern Traffic Cross over located South of Meadows/Founders Interchange was completed and the inside Detour widening continued in the daytime hours. One the detour configuration was in place, earthwork, drainage, and Noise Mitigation Berms construction began on the East side. Motorists were cautioned to drive with care and watch for construction vehicles entering and exiting from the median at marked access points. September 2000 - Drainage Improvements, Guardrail, Signing, and major Earthwork continued to proceed on the west side of the highway. Motorists were cautioned to watch for trucks exiting and entering the highway during the daytime hours, and to expect lane closures NB and SB beginning at 8:30 pm and ending at 6:00 am. Construction crews set concrete barrier on the NB lanes at night during the last two weeks of September. September 2000 Earthmoving equipment September 2000 Earthwork being constructed on west side of highway. September 2000 Heavy Equipment entering highway. Please be Courteous and let Trucks merge! September 2000 Loading Dirt Embankment into haul trucks First Week of September 2000 - Over $ 1 Million Dollars of Construction was performed in the first month of construction! The Asphalt Overlay in the South Bound Direction was completed on September 1, 2000. Clearing and Grubbing, Earthwork, Pipe Work and Concrete Box Culvert Extensions continued on the West Side of the Highway. Guardrail Removals on the West Side of the highway began on September 5, 2000, and was required to construct the earthwork widening for the South Bound Lanes. September 2000 Unmarked State Patrol Vehicle enforcing the law. Slow Down for Safety's Sake September 2000 This concrete barrier was in a straight line last week, but someone was in a rush to get where they were going and never made it there instead! September 2000 Earthwork and more and more traffic. Imagine if nothing was done to mitigate this? September 2000 Earthwork is being constructed on the West Side of Highway September 2000 Track Hoe working on pipe extensions South of Happy Canyon Interchange August 2000 - The contractor began construction on Monday August 14, 2000. A 2-inch asphalt overlay was placed on the southbound lanes of I-25 from Castle Pines Parkway to the Meadows/Founders Interchange. This work was done at night from 9:30 PM to 5:30 AM. During this period, travelers experienced uneven lanes, milled areas, and changing conditions. During the daytime hours, Surveying, Signing, Earthwork, and Drainage Operations began on the west side of I-25. Placing a 2-inch asphalt overlay on the southbound lanes of I-25 from Castle Pines Parkway to the Meadows/Founders Interchange Clearing and grubbing in preparation for earthwork just west of I-25 between Castle Pines Parkway Interchange and Happy Canyon Road Interchange.