Construction underway to expand Colorado's E-470 4-lane highway to 6 lanes

Drivers using E-470 as part of their commute will soon see changes to the busy highway. The E-470 Highway Authority says that right now, construction is underway to turn the current four-lane highway between 104th and U.S. 85 into a six-lane highway. This is part of a multi-year project to expand all of E-470.

The authority says this expansion is needed to help with congestion in the area. There are at least 90,000 drivers who use E-470 daily. The authority says the worst thing drivers can do is pay a toll just to get stuck in traffic.

"The last time we did this construction, we did get feedback from customers saying they are used to a 25-minute trip to the airport and then all of a sudden we have some lane restrictions and now it's 40 minutes and they are feeling rushed," Joe Donahue. Executive Director, E-470 Public Highway Authority, said.

The authority says traffic on the E-470 corridor is projected to increase by an average of 79% by 2050. There are currently three travel lanes in each direction from Parker Road to Quincy Avenue, Quincy Avenue to I-70, and most recently I-70 to 104th Avenue. The previous phase between I-70 and 104th Avenue was completed in November 2025.

During this project, drivers should expect occasional overnight lane and ramp closures, reduced shoulder space, widening of roadways and bridges, and barriers around the highway to protect the working crews. The Authority says they build as they go to fix a congestion problem before it ever happens.

"It makes a huge difference because the makeup of our traffic has changed quite a bit over the last five years," Donahue said. "There's a lot more commercial traffic. We get a lot of commercial traffic that comes up on U.S. 85, and it's nice to have that third lane for a little bit of acceleration."

The authority says drivers will notice most of the roadwork during the week between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. This project is expected to be completed by December 2028. During this project, there will be signage to alert drivers about the project. The Authority also says they will provide weekly updates. The entire project is expected to cost $250 million, and it comes from the surplus from the tolls. 

The authority says their overall goal is to have E-470 become an eight-lane highway by 2030 to 2031. The details on the project have been posted online.