Crossroads Bridge construction to slow I-25 traffic

Interstate 25 commuters will face increased construction and slower speeds south of Fort Collins in the coming weeks.

Construction began in mid-September on a yearlong project to replace the I-25 bridges over Crossroads Boulevard in Loveland. This week, flaggers will be stationed in the area to direct traffic along Crossroads Boulevard, and speeds have already been lowered to 65 mph.

Before Thanksgiving, work on the bridges will begin in earnest.

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Crews have begun to lay asphalt between the north and southbound lanes of I-25 to use as a temporary lane. Later this month, northbound traffic will be diverted across a temporary bridge and crews will replace the northbound bridge.

Once that work is completed, southbound traffic will be diverted across a temporary bridge, and the southbound bridge will be replaced. The switch to the work on the southbound bridge is projected for mid-March. The entire project is projected to be completed in October. 

Work has been progressing smoothly, and the project is on schedule, according to Colorado Department of Transportation spokesman Jared Fiel.

"While we all miss the snow, our construction folks don’t," he said.

Delays will be minimal because the state is mandated to keep two lanes open in each direction in daytime, Fiel said. There might be temporary lane reductions during the project, but they will be confined to nighttime hours.

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The project's benefits are twofold.

The replacement bridges will be widened to accommodate three lanes in each direction rather than two, which will aid the coming I-25 expansion project. Plus, the bridges will be made level with one another, which will make for faster traffic in the area.

Fiel described the existing bridges as a "pinch point" because they are narrow and stand at different heights, both of which contribute to slower traffic. People driving northbound are at a higher elevation than those driving southbound, which causes what he described as a "psychological problem" in which drivers slow down. 

The project will cost $22.1 million in state and local funds.

The bridge replacement project was planned before the confirmation of the I-25 expansion.

U.S. Sen Michael Bennet announced in late July that a $15 million federal grant would help fund a tolled express lane in each direction between the Mulberry Street exit in Fort Collins and a point just south of U.S. Highway 34 in Loveland.

A combination of federal, state and local funds will cover the estimated $237 million project, and part of that project will be replacing all bridges in the expansion area that cannot support three lanes of traffic. The new lanes are anticipated to open in 2021.

Another project to add a third climbing lane south of Crossroads on I-25 near the Berthoud exit started in mid-May and should be completed in the spring. The $10.3 million project will provide relief to commuters heading south up the hill, which has been another cause of slowdowns.

For more information and updates on the bridge replacement project, visit codot.gov/projects/i25crossroadsbridge. For other projects, visit codot.gov/projects/north-i-25. 

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I-25 expansion funding

Funding sources for new tolled express lanes in each direction from Fort Collins to Loveland:

• $167 million: CDOT state funds
• $30 million: Federal funds
• $15 million: TIGER federal grant
• $10 million: Larimer County Road and Bridge and Mill Levy
• $6 million: Centerra Metropolitan District
• $2 million: City of Fort Collins
• $2 million: City of Loveland
• $2 million: Weld County
• $1 million: Town of Johnstown
• $1 million: Town of Windsor
• $500,000: Town of Berthoud
• $500,000: Town of Timnath

Source: Larimer County