How to Get Through the I-25 Construction
What is the Gap Project?
The “Gap” project, which started in September 2018, is a $350 million-dollar project aimed to widen the 18 mile-stretch from Monument to Castle Rock. The finished project will include a larger shoulder, increase drainage, an express lane, and a wildlife crossing with a deer fence. The project is in response to the population growth and congestion, but what does it mean for drivers?
What is it Like to Drive Through the Construction?
With five McDivitt Law firm offices along this stretch – two in Denver, two in Colorado Springs and one in Pueblo, many of us at McDivitt, along with about 70 thousand other drivers on any given day, make their way through this part of I-25. There is no shoulder on the road so stopping is not an option and often the traffic and lane closures make the drive very slow. Allow extra time! When there isn’t traffic, motorists seem to speed through the construction zone. Lisa McDivitt says she went on an off-peak time hoping for an easy drive. But, she says, she was next to a truck and the narrow lane meant very little room. “The cars fly through the windy road, and the ridges in the highway made me feel like I was in a real-life pinball game,” she remarked. Lisa also said that she watched a motorcyclist navigating through the Gap project on her drive and the ridges and grooves in the road made a harrowing drive even more death-defying.
Are There More Accidents?
According to statistics released by the Colorado State Patrol last month, traffic accidents have increased in the Gap construction zone by 62%, up from 900 to more than 1,500 since the project began. The real issue, according to news reports, is speeding through the work zone along with motorists texting or using smartphones while driving. There are Colorado Department workers along this road making the fast speeds a safety hazard for the CDOT workers and drivers alike.
Crashes up over 60% in the I-25 Gap since project began, state patrol says
How Do You Navigate This Area?
If you are like many of us at McDivitt, the drive between Colorado’s two largest cities is essential, what do you do?
- Check out I25myway.org to learn about alternative commute options and carpools.
- Pay attention to construction zones and speed limits. Crews are working around the clock and on weekends in order to finish the project on time.
- Check road closures. Occasionally a lane is closed, and this makes the congestion even tougher.
- Don’t use your smartphone.
- Know where the exits are in case you need to pull over. There are no shoulders in most places.
Click here for more information from CDOT on the I-25 South Gap Project
When Will It End?
The Gap project is scheduled for completion sometime in 2022.
