Emergency pothole repairs on Interstate 70 eastbound in Wheat Ridge will continue into next week, prompting lane closures and long delays, the Colorado Department of Transportation says.
“This is an emergency repair,” Emily Wilfong, a spokeswoman for the department, said. “We have had several smaller issues with this bridge repair over the last several weeks.”
The morning after it flattened the tires of several vehicles.
The center and right lanes of the interstate have been closed while crews work to resolve the problem. Officials say lane closures will last through “some point” on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
Authorities encourage motorists to get off the interstate at 6th Avenue east and get back on the highway from Interstate 25 north, looping around downtown Denver. Wilfong said utilizing the detour will help motorists avoid long delays during next week’s holiday travel.
Transportation officials say they are now accelerating a larger $1.9 million bridge rehab project that was slated to begin in spring of 2015.
“Our primary goal is to maintain the safety of all users of Colorado roadways, which is why we are pushing forward with an aggressive work schedule,” Tony DeVito, CDOT’s region transportation director, said in a statement. “We fully understand the impact of this work as it leads right into the Thanksgiving holiday and sympathize with the frustration, so we encourage drivers to plan ahead by allowing extra travel time and finding alternate routes to their destination.”
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JesseAPaul
