The U.S. Build America Bureau awarded a $501 million low-interest loan to the Colorado Transportation Investment Office in a strategic move to significantly upgrade a 61-mile stretch of the I-25 highway. The effort, backed by the Colorado Department of Transportation, includes the addition of 52 miles of express toll lanes connecting Denver and Fort Collins, according to an Aug. 8 news release.
“This $1.6 billion project relieves traffic on neighborhood streets and provides mobility hubs, carpool and bus rapid transit facilities, park and ride lots with EV charging and pedestrian and bicycle access,” Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy Carlos Monje Jr. said in the release. “The bus rapid transit improvements are expected to reduce travel time by 10-15 minutes, greatly enhancing benefits of transit trips.”
The comprehensive $1.6 billion initiative promises not just smoother roads, but a holistic approach to travel. Benefits include slashed travel times, the establishment of innovative mobility hubs fostering alternative modes of transport and the rehabilitation of aging rail crossings, the release reported. A major highlight is the connection to a sprawling 100-mile regional trail network, designed with an emphasis on preserving wildlife crossings.
Transit users and carpoolers, specifically those in vehicles consisting of a driver and a minimum of two passengers, will be able to utilize the express lanes without any charges, according to the release.
The upgrade is segmented into several key projects, such as the creation of 52 miles of express lanes, establishment of park and ride as well as mobility hubs at strategic locations like the Kendal Parkway and the Colorado 56 interchange and a massive overhaul of 13 bridges, six interchanges and rail crossings, the release said.
The I-25 North Corridor holds immense importance for Colorado, with planned investments topping $4.6 billion through 2060, the current TIFIA loan is expected to speed up the execution of crucial segments of this colossal project, with a target completion year of 2028, the release said.
