I-25 North Express Lanes Project UPDATE: Mead to Fort Collins

Project Updates: Extended SE Frontage Road Closure in Loveland and Johnstown

It’s no secret that communities along the north I-25 corridor are expanding rapidly, which contributes to major economic growth within northern Colorado. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has committed to supporting this growth through the I-25 North Express Lanes Project. The project is said to extend from Highway 56 in Mead to Mulberry Street in Fort Collins.

This project has been stated by CDOT to bring about economic, environmental, and quality of life benefits for northern Coloradans by:

• Making safety improvements to reduce the number of crashes and fatalities.
• Decreasing travel time and increasing trip reliability.
• Reducing emissions and improving freight efficiency.
• Employing congestion management and safety technology to improve the travel experience.
• Rebuilding aging and obsolete infrastructure.
• Improving bicycle, pedestrian, and transit connectivity.

Starting on April 25 through June 3, from 7 am, will begin the removal and replacement of the roadway approach slab at the north end of the SE Frontage Road bridge over the Big Thompson River, which is a full closure of SE Frontage Road between Lucy Lane and Larimer County Road 20, between Colorado Highway 402 and US Highway 34.

All accesses to local residences will be maintained and CDOT says I-25 will not be impacted during the full closure of the SE Frontage Road.

As everyone knows, interstate 25 (I-25) is a significant contributor to the quality of life and economic vitality of northern Colorado, especially during its time of rapid growth, from US 36 in the Denver metro area to CO 1 in Wellington.

According to the State Demography Office, Larimer County’s population, which currently sits at 316,000, is expected to increase 52 percent by 2040. Weld County’s population of 268,400 is on a similar trajectory with an expected increase of 111 percent by 2040.

CDOT is predicting that these increases in population will add to the number of vehicles traveling along the I-25 corridor by 60 percent in 2040. CDOT says in order to maintain the same, or better, quality of life and economic vitality for the future, improvements are greatly needed along I-25. The overall purpose of the North I-25 project is to provide modern and effective multi-modal transportation solutions for residents, employees, freight, and visitors between Denver and Wyoming.

“We know it’s been a lot of work, but we are very excited to be able to bring this huge project on time and on budget with major construction done in 2023 which is 14 years ahead of the original plan,” said Jared Fiel Communication Manager, Region 4.

For more information, please visit codot.gov/projects/north-i-25/north-i-25.