C-470 Express Lane Project Delayed, Possibly Until Next Summer
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - A major road construction project that was supposed to wrap up earlier this August, may now extend until next year. The C-470 Express Lane Project called for two tolled express lane extensions, one from Interstate 25 to Colorado Boulevard, and another near Wadsworth to Interstate 25.
The project also included revamping bridges and overpasses, as well as replacing sound walls to make way for expansion. About 100,000 drivers travel the 12.5 mile stretch of C-470 every day.
Construction began in 2016 and was supposed to have wrapped up by Aug. 1. That deadline has come and gone.
George White, who lives in Littleton, says this work should have been done a long time ago.
"I'm eager to get this project finished, the C470 when they first built it, they should have realized it was going to grow to do all this, now this work of adding on… it's taking a lot of time," White said.
The Colorado Department of Transportation says the delay is because of the contractor, which is actually a joint venture between Flatiron and AECOM.
"We've been working with the contractor trying to get that project on schedule, trying to get through the challenges out there and haven't been successful so we issued them a default letter so it says we need to make a decision on what's the best path forward for the traveling public and for CDOT on how to get this project done," said CDOT Chief Engineer Joshua Laipply.
CDOT says construction continues as the department reviews whether to work with the same contractors or possibly look at other options. CDOT says completion could now wrap up anywhere between this December or as late as June 2020.
LINK: CDOT C-470 Express Lanes