Kechter Road Bridge Over I-25 Reopens

Wednesday’s reopening of the Kechter Road bridge over Interstate 25 should draw a sigh of relief from drivers who use Harmony Road and Colorado Highway 392 to cross over I-25. The bridge, closed for the past seven months for reconstruction, will not only alleviate congestion on these other two interstate crossings, but it is more resilient to flooding, provides multimodal options, and offers an alternate northbound and southbound route parallel to I-25 and another route to get to CO 392 rather than I-25.

This bridge reconstruction project is part of the Colorado Department of Transportation’s North I-25 Express Lanes project from Berthoud to Fort Collins.

The new bridge is a little higher than the old structure, enabling crews to raise the elevation of I-25 and add two new bridges south of Kechter Road spanning the floodplain to allow the next 100-year flood event to pass without affecting I-25. The bridge also features sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, and bike lanes in both directions and a roundabout constructed connects the West Frontage Road to Kechter Road just west of I-25, providing a safer intersection for all users than what existed previously.

Additional work done in the last seven months included building large retaining walls on both sides of I-25 to contain the new widened footprint of I-25. The new structure was also lengthened to 226 feet to accommodate the additional toll lane in each direction of I-25. Making all these improvements took a fair amount of effort and materials including:

• 16,475 cubic yards of material was used for the roadway embankment, enough to fill five Olympic sized swimming pools
• 18 box girders – each 112 feet long – were set for the bridge
• 2,500 tons of asphalt was put down
• 27,697 square feet of retaining walls were built
• 736 cubic yards of concrete was used for the bridge construction
• 158,069 pounds of reinforced steel was used, or the weight of approximately forty Ford F-150s
• 756 linear feet of pile was driven for the bridge foundations

Please visit codot.gov/projects/north-i-25, for the most current travel updates. The I-25 North Express Lanes Project: Berthoud to Johnstown section will increase highway capacity by adding an Express Lane in each direction, rebuilding interchanges, replacing aging bridges, straightening highway curves to improve safety, making major utility and drainage improvements, and adding carpool and transit facilities. During construction on the I-25 North Express Lanes Project, motorists should expect speed reductions to 65 mph, minor lane shifts, temporary concrete barriers, and median bridgework. Motorists should also expect delays during the scheduled work hours. Construction on the Berthoud to Johnstown segment is expected to be complete in early 2024.

PROJECT CONTACT INFORMATION

• Project phone line – (720) 593-1996
• Project email – [email protected]
• Project website – codot.gov/projects/north-i-25
• Sign up for weekly project updates by logging onto the project website and filling out the right-side form to “Subscribe to Project Updates.”

Travelers are urged to “know before you go.” Gather information about weather forecasts and anticipated travel impacts and current road conditions prior to hitting the road. CDOT resources include:

• Road conditions and travel information: www.COtrip.org
• Sign up for project or travel alerts: bit.ly/COalerts
• See scheduled lane closures: codot.gov/travel/scheduled-lane-closures.html
• Connect with us on social media: Twitter @coloradodot and Facebook facebook.com/coloradodot

The Colorado Department of Transportation works to provide the best multi-modal transportation system for Colorado that most effectively and safely moves people, goods, and information. CDOT manages more than 23,000 lane miles of highway, more than 3,000 bridges, and 35 mountain passes. CDOT also manages grant partnerships with a range of agencies and operates Bustang, the state-owned interregional express bus service. Gov. Jared Polis has charged CDOT to further build on the state’s intermodal mobility options. Find more details at codot.gov.