MONUMENT – Construction crews got off to a late start, but an overnight closure signaled the start of construction on the southern portion of the I-25 Gap Project Thursday.
The closure was necessary to provide crews enough space to repair and re-pave the pavement on the existing lanes, shoulders and medians on both the northbound and southbound sides.
“You’re reconstructing two brand new highway lanes through that area, and so, we need to shift traffic around quite a bit. So, you need quite a bit of room when you’re moving a good 90,000 vehicles through there every day,” said Bob Wilson, a Colorado Department of Transportation spokesman.
This pavement will be used in the future when traffic lanes are shifted to accommodate for lane expansion.
“Right now, where there might be some rumble strips or areas that are on the shoulders or in the median areas that normally don’t see traffic, those are the areas,” Wilson said.
Closures were set to begin around 8 p.m., with work scheduled to start an hour later. However, the closures didn’t get in place until around 9:45 p.m.
CDOT said the closure will be lifted at 5 a.m. Friday, in time for drivers to pass through the Gap without issues.
During the closure, motorists were diverted through the weigh station lanes at reduced speeds.
Wilson said CDOT remains committed to minimizing traffic impacts, but sometimes, closures are necessary. Construction crews are not allowed to close lanes during the day unless there’s an emergency.
