I-270 drivers have a highway-sized headache ahead of them. From Friday night to Monday morning, there will be a closure along the I-270 and US-36 bridge over I-25 in Adams County.
The Colorado Department of Transportation will close eastbound lanes on the bridge along with the I-270 off-ramp to northbound I-25 starting at 10 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Monday.
CDOT says drivers can take the following detours:
Eastbound US-36 and I-270 traffic will exit onto southbound I-25, then use the right two lanes to take exit 214A, and merge onto eastbound Interstate 70. Eastbound US-36 traffic entering northbound I-25 will turn left onto N. Federal Boulevard (US Highway 287), turn right onto West 120th Avenue (CO Highway 128) and turn left to enter northbound I-25.
Another closure is scheduled in the same area at the same times from Friday, Nov. 6 through Monday, Nov. 9 to finish the project. However, CDOT warns that schedule could shift.
These repairs are part of the I-270 Bridge Preventative Maintenance Phase 2 project that began in March. This is the final phase.
Also starting this month is what could be CDOTs longest running construction projects: a seven-year, $806 million I-270 improvement plan.
Watch Denver7s Alex Dowd walk through the project and upcoming closures: Buckle up: CDOTs longest roadwork project is coming to I-270 for the next seven yearsThe I-270 Corridor Improvements project travels east to west from Adams County to northeast Denver in three phases. The goal is to rework the only interstate in Colorado that has never received an upgrade since it was built in 1965.
CDOT says the highway regularly carries more people than it was designed to hold. This project will help I-270 make space for breakdown and crash mitigation, toll expansions and pedestrian and bike pathways while replacing old infrastructure.
The first phase will be the longest of the three, scheduled for four years. It focuses on fixing embankments, mainline I-270 and two-thirds of the dozen bridges in the project zone. That work is scheduled from October 2026 to early 2030.
CDOT says theyll do the following:
Elevate the roadway on the northern edge on westbound I-270 between 60th Avenue and the South Platte River Trail to support the addition of future travel lanes. Rebuild eight of 12 bridges in the poorest condition over the South Platte River, Burlington Ditch, Brighton Boulevard/Union Pacific and BNSR railroads and 60th Avenue/BNSF railroad. Reconstruct mainline I-270 from the South Platte River to the start of the Vasquez Boulevard rampsPhase two is scheduled to start right after and run through 2033, continuing along mainline I-270 and its major interchanges like the Vasquez Boulevards/I-270 interchange, the York Street bridge and the 56th Avenue Bridge.
The third and final phase is expected to happen during the same period as the second, ending in 2033. It will build a new bicycle and pedestrian overpass over I-270, reconstruct the Vasquez Boulevard Bridge over Sand Creek and improve Sandcreek Drive and the frontage roads.
CDOT isnt expecting any daytime impacts along the main stretches of I-270, but overnight, single-lane closures will be in place along I-270 between South Platte River and 60th Avenue from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. During the day, the right shoulder will be closed along westbound I-270.
To plan your drive, CDOT is asking drivers to check COtrip.org for real-time travel conditions and road closures.
