Construction underway in Denver to improve underpass along Iowa Avenue

The Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure is working to improve a very busy underpass in Denver off Iowa Avenue between Acoma Street and Santa Fe Drive.

While construction was set to begin Monday afternoon, Iowa Avenue between Acoma Street and Santa Fe Drive will be closed to drivers. Pedestrians and bikers will still have access to the underpass. This is a project that is expected to last nine months.

The project will reconstruct the existing sidewalk along the north side of the underpass. It will replace the existing stairs with ramps. This will enhance the multimodal safety and connectivity between neighborhoods in the area. It will also provide ADA accessibility to make traveling more comfortable and accommodate those with a range of abilities. There will also be new lighting along the pathway with public art.

This project will also remove the stairs to create an ADA accessible and separated path. This will eliminate the gap along the D18 bike route, which will increase safety, provide a clearer wayfinding, and improve user experience. This will also improve crossings at Santa Fe Drive and have a new sidewalk offset from Santa Fe Drive from Jewell Avenue to Florida Avenue. 

While the closure is in place, anyone traveling north of Santa Fe Drive can use Mississippi, and anyone traveling south of Santa Fe Drive can use Dartmouth and Hampden.