The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is currently working through an interchange improvement project at the I-25/Santa Fe Drive interchange. When it is completed, there will be four lanes on I-25 in each direction through Denver from C-470 to U.S. 36.

Budgeted at $50 million, the job is federally aided, as well as a separate funding stream through the Funding Advancement for Surface Transportation and Economic Recovery (FASTER) program implemented by the State of Colorado. FASTER is dedicated to repairing and replacing poor bridges and making safety improvements on Colorado highways.

The project began July 11, 2011, and is on schedule to be complete by approximately Sept. 30, 2013. The prime contractor is Hamon Contractors, Inc., and the job is under the direction of Ted Schmidt as superintendent, Brad Davis as project manager and Sara Aupperle as project engineer.

The contract covers the second construction stage of the reconstruction of I-25 from Alameda to Broadway. The first stage replaced the Alameda Bridge over I-25 and completed drainage improvements in the area.

This second stage includes the reconstruction of I-25 bridges over Santa Fe Drive and new construction of a flyover ramp.

The last two stages are scheduled to begin in Jan. 2014, and will complete the Single Point Urban Interchange for Santa Fe Drive and I-25, replace the old southbound Santa Fe structure over the Platte River, and replace the old Alameda structure over the Platte. It also will add another flyover structure at Alameda and northbound I-25.

According to Daniel Housand of the Colorado Department of Transportation, average traffic in the project area is 250,000 vehicles per day.

“Traffic control is an ongoing challenge,” he said. “Phasing has allowed traffic to move unimpeded through our work zone, but not without some complaints from the traveling public. There are known hazardous soils and water on site. We have extensive plans to deal with those safely and environmentally.”

The flyover bridge was designed by Summit Engineering and utilized curved box girders, which were segmentally pieced together between pier caps and post tensioned. The I-25 structures over Santa Fe were similar, but were not curved.

To date, the contractor has moved 80,000 cu. yds. (61,164 cu m) of material and placed 4,500 cu. yds. (3,440 cu m) of concrete.

Subcontractors include Slaton for MSE walls and temporary wire walls, Statewide for traffic control, Parker Steel for placing reinforcing steel and VSL Corporation for post tensioning with strand. Trucking subcontractors include PPI for placing HMA, PAA for placing concrete pavement and Rocky Mountain Structures for erecting girders.

Equipment for the project includes a Volvo 110F front end loader, a Komatsu PC 270 LC hydraulic excavator, a tandem dump truck, a Bidwell deck finishing machine, an RMS crane and a Brundage bone concrete pumper. CEG

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