Wildlife Crossings

I-70 & Genesee Wildlife Underpass- In Construction

Work has begun on the I-70 & Genesee Wildlife Underpass project, which includes construction a wildlife underpass at approximately I-70 Mile Point 254.5 which is in between the exits for Lookout Mountain and Genesee. This area has been identified as a hotspot for wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC) and has the highest number of WVCs on I-70 east of the Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnel. Wildlife fencing will be placed along both sides of I-70 (north and south) and extend from the I-70 and Genesee Exit (Exit 254) to the I-70 and Lookout Mountain Exit (Exit 256).

Estimated Schedule:

• Construction November 2022 through Spring 2024
• Project Cost: $10M
• Contractor: Lawrence Construction

Traffic Impacts:

• To build the wildlife underpass, crews will construct a temporary traffic shift on I-70 between Lookout Mountain and Genesee.
  Three lanes of travel will be maintained in both directions, but due to narrowed lanes motorists must use caution through the work zone.
• The speed limit will be reduced to 55 MPH through the work zone.
• There will be 11-foot width restrictions on vehicles through the work zone.
• Impacts to traffic are expected to be minimal.
• Once the project is complete, motorists will be traveling on the two new I-70 bridges with the wildlife underpass underneath.

US 40 Empire Wildlife Overpass- In Design

The US 40 Empire Wildlife Overpass project plans to construct a wildlife overpass on US 40 at approximately Mile Point 257 which is near the I-70 and US 40 Empire Interchange (I-70 Exit 232). The wildlife overpass will allow safe connectivity for the largest bighorn sheep herd in the state of Colorado as well as reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions. Wildlife fencing will be placed along both sides of US 40 (north and south) and extend to the town of Empire and south on County Road 257. This project also plans to apply rockfall mitigation designs and fencing adjacent to the wildlife crossing structure.

Estimated Schedule:

• Construction Fall 2023-Spring 2025
• Project Cost: Estimated $7M-$10M
• Contractor: TBD

Pegasus Transit Shuttle Stop – In Design

The Pegasus Transit Shuttle Stop will provide a carpooling and transit stop for the Pegasus shuttle transit service in the Evergreen/Floyd Hill area. 

Benefits of this shuttle service include:

• Daily service between the Denver area and I-70 mountain corridor communities
• Shuttle can use the Mountain Express Lanes west of Idaho Springs
• Shuttle will be able to use the new Floyd Hill westbound Express Lane
• Support for future electric vehicle charging at the Pegasus parking lot

Estimated Schedule:

• Construction: Summer 2024 to Fall 2024
  Project Cost: TBD
  Contractor: TBD

~CDOT