DOUGLAS COUNTY — “We have finished all the major tasks on the I-25 South Gap Project,” said Tamara Rollison with the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Four years of work to improve safety and traffic flow on I-25 from Monument to Castle Rock, Colorado should finish by the promised November 2022 deadline.
Crews are currently wrapping up final details of the project.
Most of the construction barriers guiding lane shifts were removed a year ago and traffic has been enjoying the new improved lane alignment.
Some of those lane miles needed a final layer of paving. That happened during the past summer, mostly over night.
Crews have also been putting in guardrails, drainage and the tech infrastructure for the toll lanes.
Drivers have enjoyed free access to the toll lanes over the past year.
The plan to start charging tolls when construction wrapped has been altered.
“The tolling equipment has been installed. We still need a period of more testing to make sure everything works as designed,” said Rollison.
It means tolls will likely not begin until next spring.
Traffic flow has been monitored through the year.
The design and engineering are working as planned.
There is a problem caused by drivers.
“Yes, there certainly have been some issues with people driving the lanes, all of the lanes on The Gap too fast and that definItely presents some safety issues."
It is all lanes, but in the express lane speeds are excessive.
It means more education and enforcement even after work is complete.
There will also be plenty of notice before tolling begins.
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