THORNTON, Colo. (KDVR) — Wednesday night, the Colorado Department of Transportation held an informational open house as it eyes making a stretch of Interstate 25 safer.
As part of a “study phase,” CDOT is exploring ways to improve a five-mile stretch of the interstate, from U.S. 36 to 104th Avenue.
CDOT cited a steady increase in congestion crashes since 2012 — mainly rear-end crashes that are typically associated with congestion. The agency said that buses serving the Thornton Park-n-Ride cause safety and operational issues because they weave from the outer slip ramps to access the I-25 north Express Lanes.
Additionally, CDOT is anticipating that traffic volumes, bolstered by increasing population and employment, will exceed capacity by 2050.
CDOT is proposing to ease traffic by:
- Widening shoulders and the Express Lane buffer
- Add a northbound climbing lane for trucks between Interstate 270 and 104th Avenue
- Add auxiliary lanes to improve traffic flow between interchanges from 84th Avenue to Thornton Parkway
- Add a fourth southbound general-purpose lane between 84th and 104th avenues
- Replacing the 88th Avenue bridge with one that would have the space needed to accommodate multimodal features
- Realign the Niver Creek Trail and replace the pedestrian and bikeway underpass at the Thornton Park-n-Ride
- Remove the I-25 bus slip ramps at the Thornton Park-n-Ride
The study and design phase will last through late fall 2026. More information can be found on the project hotline at 720-378-8859 or project webpage here.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
