DENVER, Colo. — An overturned piece of construction equipment caused more than an hour and a half delay on southbound Interstate 25 Wednesday morning, Scripps News Denver Traffic Expert Jayson Luber reports.
The shuttle buggy that transfers hot asphalt to the paver flipped on its side near Park Avenue around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, bringing southbound I-25 down to just one lane into downtown Denver.
Luber advised morning commuters, the HOV/express lanes were the best and fastest options through this area. Side streets, including Federal Boulevard, N. Pecos Street and Washington Street, loaded up with traffic.
York Street is a good alternative route, according to Luber, the farther drivers stay away from I-25.
The drive time on southbound I-25 heading into downtown Denver from 104th Ave. reached almost two hours around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) told Scripps News Denver construction crews were removing paving equipment on the roadway when a piece of equipment fell off the trailer near the 20th St. off-ramp.
The contractor is trying to get the shuttle buggy back on its wheels to tow it off the highway, according to CDOT. The shuttle buggy is a heavy, boxy piece of equipment weighing about 80,000 pounds, making it a challenge to move, CDOT said.
The equipment was moved off of the highway around 12:23 p.m. Wednesday, approximately eight hours after it first fell. After getting the shuttle buggy right side up and towed away, CDOT said crews had to clean some of the hydraulic fluid that leaked from the equipment.
A repaving project on southbound I-25 has been ongoing over the last several weeks, creating slowdowns on weekday mornings.
On Wednesday, construction crews were late picking up traffic cones from the project overnight, creating a worse than normal backup from the get-go for morning commuters.
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