CDOT Commits to Full Funding of the Expansion of the Remaining Stretch of Two-Lane Section of North I-25

Fort Collins, Colo. – On Wednesday, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Colorado Transportation Innovation Office (CTIO) announced their plan to the Colorado Transportation Commission to fully fund the 7-mile North I-25 Express Lane “Segment 5” from State Highway 56 (South of Berthoud) to State Highway 66 (North of Longmont).

“Segment 5” was the last remaining two-lane stretch of North I-25 that was not fully funded.  The $350 Million commitment comes from a combination of funding from CDOT’s 10 Year Plan and a federal TIFIA (Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act) loan that will be repaid from toll revenues from the Express Lane.  The Transportation Commission committed nearly $1 billion to build Segments 6 through 8, from Berthoud to Fort Collins, in 2018. 

Until Wednesday’s decision, full funding of the final segment was undefined. 

The commitment assures the North I-25 Express Lane extends from Fort Collins to Longmont.  The 10-year plan, however, is silent on building the I-25 Managed Express Lane south of Longmont to E-470 (Segment 4) to provide a continuous managed lane from Fort Collins to Denver, despite the call for such improvement throughout the corridor, including this segment, to address continued growth in the region in 2011 Environmental Impact Study and Record of Decision.