Public Comment Begins For I-70 East Expansion

<p>(Courtesy CDOT)</p>
<p>An artist&#039;s rendering of what Interstate 70 might look like with a portion of the roadway buried in North Denver.</p>
Graphic: CDOT I-70 East rendering
An artist's rendering of what Interstate 70 might look like with a portion of the roadway buried in North Denver.

Within a few decades, the interstate from I-25 going east to the airport will carry twice the traffic it was designed for, according to the final environmental impact statement from the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Plus, state transportation officials say the elevated viaduct, which runs through some of Denver’s poorest neighborhoods, is vulnerable to failure within 10 years if something isn’t done. So, they’ve proposed a $1.7 billion project to run I-70 below street level through part of Denver, and widen the freeway.

The expansion may be a good idea for drivers, but the project is controversial in the surrounding neighborhoods. Worries include increased pollution from traffic and the disruption of years of construction.

Comments will be accepted for the next 30 days and public meetings are scheduled for the first week of February.