Traffic moves into its new alignment as Colorado transportation officials advance the six-mile expansion toward its planned 2028 completion.
By North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com
A major stretch of Interstate 25 in Northern Colorado has reached a significant construction milestone, with traffic now traveling in its new alignment between Mead and Berthoud.
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and regional partners celebrated the completion of the project’s final traffic switch on October 21, marking another step toward expanding I-25 between Colorado Highway 66 in Mead and Colorado Highway 56 near Berthoud.
The change moves vehicles out of the temporary head-to-head traffic configuration used during construction and back into their respective sides of the highway.
“This traffic switch signifies so much more than just getting out of a head-to-head condition and getting vehicles onto their respective lanes,” said CDOT Region 4 Transportation Director Heather Paddock. “This milestone demonstrates the continuous progress and work the north corridor of I-25 has sustained for over a quarter century.”
A Critical Connection for Northern Colorado
The approximately six-mile project, which began construction in May 2024, is designed to close a major gap in the I-25 North corridor improvements.
Over the past six years, crews have completed about 20 miles of interstate improvements between Berthoud and Fort Collins. The Mead-to-Berthoud project will connect those improvements with the highway farther south.
When construction is completed in 2028, I-25 is expected to have more than two lanes in each direction along the entire corridor between Denver and Fort Collins for the first time.
The project includes a new 12-foot Express Lane in each direction, separated from general-purpose traffic by a four-foot painted buffer. Crews are also widening roadway shoulders, reconstructing interchanges and bridges, and installing electronic tolling and traffic-management equipment.
Major construction elements include:
- Reconstruction of the I-25 and Weld County Road 34 interchange.
- Replacement or reconstruction of bridges at Weld County Roads 32, 34, and 38.
- Bridge improvements where I-25 crosses the Great Western Railway and Valley Road.
- Expansion of inside shoulders to 10 feet and outside shoulders to 12 feet.
- Installation of tolling infrastructure and Intelligent Transportation Systems technology.
Regional Cooperation Supports Highway Expansion
Transportation officials, elected leaders and emergency responders gathered near the new Valley Road bridge to recognize the milestone and discuss the corridor’s long-term importance.
Participants included CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew, State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, Mead Mayor Colleen Whitlow, Larimer County Commissioner Kristin Stephens and representatives from regional emergency services.
Kirkmeyer emphasized the importance of cooperation among communities that depend on I-25 for commuting, commerce, and regional connections.
“Every planning region put I-25 into their plans. Everybody stuck together,” Kirkmeyer said. “Some call this Colorado’s backbone. We call it the Main Street of Colorado.”
The interstate serves as a primary transportation connection for communities throughout Larimer and Weld counties, linking Northern Colorado residents with employment centers, businesses, and services along the Front Range.
CDOT officials also recognized the financial contributions that helped advance improvements throughout the corridor.
“For all of the work on North I-25, from Denver to Fort Collins, local and developer contributions have totaled almost $79 million,” Lew said. “That is truly incredible.”
Construction Continues Toward 2028
After the ceremony, participants took part in a symbolic roadway-striping activity to mark the transition into the project’s next construction phase.
Although the final traffic switch is complete, the milestone does not mean the entire expansion is finished. Additional construction, roadway improvements, and tolling-system installation remain before the project reaches its scheduled 2028 completion.
For Northern Colorado drivers, the new alignment represents visible progress on a highway corridor that has undergone years of construction to accommodate regional growth and improve transportation safety.
Once finished, the Mead-to-Berthoud segment will connect the expanded highway sections north and south of the project, creating a more continuous interstate corridor between Fort Collins and the Denver metropolitan area.