CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. — U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Colorado Governor Jared Polis on Tuesday toured the Floyd Hill Project along Interstate 70.
The project involves roughly eight miles of I-70, stretching from Evergreen to Idaho Springs. It is separated into three sections and aims to accomplish a number of goals, including widening the roads while adding a new connection between US 6 and Idaho Springs.
“For so long, this was a vision. This was a project design on a page," said Buttigieg. “Now that this funding is moving, paired with the major commitment that the state has demonstrated passing its own funding, now we're actually seeing it turned into results.”
The federal funding Buttigieg referenced is the $100 million Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects grant. In total, the Floyd Hill Project is estimated to cost $700 million and continue into late 2028.
“The Biden administration is investing about $100 million in this project. Alongside our state resources, it allows us to get it done. Improving safety, reducing traffic congestion, and making it for an easier trip to the mountains," Polis said.
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Robert McGurk, who has lived in the area for decades, said any improvement is positive, no matter the price tag.
“What's been a big improvement is the express lanes. That's been the biggest change," said McGurk.
Another longtime resident, Connie Olibas, said her weekend is scheduled around avoiding the traffic.
“It can take your whole day — just Floyd Hill," said Olibas. “I don't think it's ever going to be just real expedient through here. It's just, you're going to get here and you're going to wait a little while.”
Floyd Hill is a major road moving people and goods to and through the Rockies, and it’s no coincidence that this site is a focus of both our state and federal investments to reduce traffic and improve safety.
— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) April 16, 2024
The work here at Floyd Hill is possible thanks to our state… pic.twitter.com/NgkFEKBfCe
In March, the Floyd Hill Project began work on the West Section — the second portion of the project. The Central Section will see construction start in the fall of this year.
The project began with the East Section, where construction kicked off in July of 2023.
