With an estimated $1.2 billion price tag, the Central 70 project is the most expensive construction project in the history of Colorado. Denver Post photojournalist RJ Sangosti spent time with families in north Denver’s Elyria-Swansea neighborhood over the past 18 months to chronicle how they cope with chronic breathing problems in an industrial area that’s now at the heart of the massive Interstate 70 expansion.
This special, visually driven story follows the lives of two families and community members who often feel their voices haven’t been heard in the conversation about development as Denver continues to grow.
“There are some nights you don’t even sleep because you are just watching over them,” says Nancy Santos about her two daughters who suffer from asthma.
– Patrick Traylor, Senior Editor, Photography & Multimedia
The Long Shadow: Families in Elyria-Swansea struggle with asthma amid historic I-70 construction
Related pieces:
- A note about The Long Shadow project from photojournalist RJ Sangosti
- Video: “It feels like a snake wrapped around your chest.” — asthma amid historic I-70 construction
- Asthma data: Search rates by neighborhoods in Denver
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Five of The Denver Post’s best stories this week
Denver Post listening tour: “Yuma County is a 21st-century community that respects people”
The Denver Post politics team is traveling across Colorado to hear from residents about their communities and what state and federal issues are important to them. This week, we traveled to Yuma, where residents don’t want the state butting in — especially when it comes to land rights. Stay tuned for more; our next stop is Leadville.
Big new reservoirs planned northeast of Denver would divert more of South Platte’s Nebraska-bound water to thirsty metro suburbs
Colorado officials are planning to build large reservoirs on the prairie northeast of Denver to capture more of the South Platte River’s Nebraska-bound water and to pump it back west to booming metro suburbs struggling to wean themselves off dwindling underground aquifers, Bruce Finley reports.
Michael Bennet earns kudos in Democratic debate; John Hickenlooper not so much
Colorado’s Michael Bennet had a late start in the Democratic presidential primary, but his performance at Thursday’s NBC debate just might give him enough gas to pass a challenger or two. Former Gov. John Hickenlooper, on the other hand, failed to stand out, Nic Garcia reported from the Democratic debate in Miami this week.
RELATED: John Hickenlooper’s claims don’t always match Coloradans’ memories, according to the Democratic debate fact check from reporter Anna Staver
Despite fewer arrests, Arapahoe County jail remains crowded
The Arapahoe County jail was built in 1986 to house 386 inmates. Today, nearly 1,200 inmates are held there. For a decade, the sheriff’s office has repaired and retrofitted that jail to expand its capacity, but the sheriff says there are no more efficiencies to be made. He wants to build a new $426 million jail, Elise Schmelzer reports.
DIA, contractors start talks to keep terminal construction from spiraling out of control
With Denver International Airport and its contractors headed into mediation, reporter Jon Murray takes a deep dive into how we got here and warns that “substantial cost overruns and years of delays could take hold if airport officials and the contracting team fail to get the $650 million Great Hall Project back on track.”
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Quick Hits
+ Supreme Court cites Colorado as it declines to curb gerrymandering
+ Colorado wins at the U.S. Supreme Court on census citizenship question
+ World Trade Center Denver project brings on new partners, poised to break ground this year in RiNo
+ Denver selects developers for affordable housing project, once the site of an East Colfax strip club
+ He spotted over 200 wildfires while a Front Range fire lookout; now he’s retiring
+ — The Know
+ Stevie Wonder plays Red Rocks for first time, with Usher joining him on stage — The Know
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