State and federal officials broke ground on Oct. 19, 2026, on the $806 million Interstate 270 Corridor Improvements to improve safety on this busy corridor.
These improvements to I-270, span east to west between Adams County and north Denver, and will improve safety, travel time reliability, freight operations and multimodal connectivity on a congested interstate that carries more traffic than it was designed for.
Construction will begin this fall with earthwork, followed by major bridge construction in spring 2027. The project is expected to conclude in 2033.
Kiewit Corp. is the project's general contractor
“Every day, Coloradans count on I-270 to get to work, get home and keep goods moving,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said. These improvements will make I-270 safer, more reliable and faster for travelers, and will create good-paying jobs. By completing this work in phases, we're working to ensure this important highway gets the upgrades it needs while keeping traffic moving for the Coloradans who depend on I-270.”
“I-270 is a road that serves many roles at once,” said Shoshana Lew, Colorado Department of Transportation executive director. It carries commuters to and through Adams County, it carries significant freight, and it is badly in need of investment so that it can do its job safely. With more than 100,000 vehicles depending on it daily, I-270 is a short highway with an outsized role, linking I-25, I-70 and I-76, moving workers to jobs, freight to market and families across the north-metro area.”
The I-270 Corridor Improvements project will:
• replace 12 aging bridges built in the 1960s;
• Add one new tolled express lane in each direction of I-270, free for buses, motorcycles and carpools of three or more, alongside two general-purpose lanes;
• rebuild the Vasquez Boulevard interchange;
• improve ramps at I-76, York Street and Quebec Street to reduce merging and weaving crashes;
• add a continuous auxiliary lane on I-270 between Vasquez Boulevard and York Street;
• widen shoulders and adds emergency turnarounds so crashes and breakdowns can be cleared more quickly and safely;
• build a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge over I-270 between East 56th Avenue and Quebec Street;
• add new sidewalks, multi-use paths and safer crossings at Brighton Boulevard, East 56th Avenue, York Street, Vasquez Boulevard and South Sandcreek Drive;
• improve connections to the South Platte River and Sand Creek trails;
• add four new RTD bus stops near the Quebec Street interchange; and
• add air quality monitoring and reporting, water quality ponds and wetlands mitigation.
Construction will occur in three phases:
Phase 1 (October 2026 to early 2030): Crews will complete earthwork on the northern edge of westbound I-270 between 60th Avenue and the South Platte River Trail, then begin the replacement of eight bridges in the most critical need in spring 2027.
These I-270 bridges are located at the South Platte River, Burlington Ditch, Brighton Boulevard/Union Pacific and BNSF Railroads, and 60th Avenue/BNSF Railroad. This phase will also include reconstruction of mainline I-270 from the South Platte River to the start of the Vasquez Boulevard ramps.
Phase 2 (Early 2030 through 2033): Crews will reconstruct remaining mainline I-270, the Vasquez Boulevard/I-270 interchange, and York Street and 56th Avenue bridges.
Phase 3 (Early 2030 through 2033): Crews will reconstruct the Vasquez Boulevard bridge over Sand Creek, improve Sandcreek Drive/I-270 frontage road and build a new bicycle and pedestrian I-270 overpass at South Sandcreek Drive.
