Girder work in snowstorm finishes day early; I-70 reopens
This is what the message sign at Interstate 70 westbound and Ward Road was reading before noon Sunday. FasTracks tunnel construction wrapped up early and the highway reopened. (Kevin Flynn photo)
Denver Transit Construction Group finished placing girders for a FasTracks light rail tunnel and repaving westbound Interstate 70 at Sixth Avenue on Sunday morning, and reopened the highway to traffic almost a day ahead of schedule despite the weekend snowstorm.
DTCG spokeswoman Kathy Berumen said “all went well” and the closure that had been scheduled to last until 5:30 Monday morning was lifted on Sunday morning.
With close cooperation from Colorado Department of Transportation maintenance personnel, the work area was kept clear of snow so that Lawrence Construction, the subcontractor to DTCG that did the work, was able to get the girders in place to support I-70 over the future tunnel, backfill the area, pave and stripe the new lanes while the snow flew fast and furious.
The girders were set over concrete caisson piers that had been drilled and poured within the ground under the I-70 embankment over Sixth Avenue. DTCG did the same thing under the eastbound embankment several weeks ago.
Read the full story at Kevin Flynn’s Inside Lane.
Longtime journalist Kevin Flynn was the transportation beat writer for the Rocky Mountain News.
