Last Thursday the Colorado Transportation Commission voted to preliminarily commit up to $310M in available funding to deliver the full and necessary funding to build the I-25 North Express Lanes between Fort Collins and Loveland.
The express lanes between SH 14 in Fort Collins to SH 402 south of Loveland are a part of the North I-25 Express Lanes: Johnstown to Fort Collins project and were originally slated as temporary infrastructure improvements. The new funds would provide the full funding to build the permanent infrastructure that will last 20-30 years versus the original 10-year plan. The new funding commitment saves the State $250M over the long-term.
This is a major development, one we have been working on for a while. While we appreciated the commitment to get more capacity on North I-25 with the interim project, this is a much wiser use of limited state transportation funds. We appreciate the decision by the Commission for both our area and for being good stewards of state money.
By my count, this brings the total funding commitment or spent on North I-25 to $927M.
A key has been the unity of Northern Colorado business and government leaders to get the interstate widened. State transportation leaders have taken notice.
The Fix North I-25 Business Alliance and North I-25 Coalition, organizations that represent the business community and local governments of the Northern Colorado region, have worked together to support and testified last Thursday for the full funding of the permanent alignment. Click here for the joint letter to the Commission.
Many people have helped on North I-25. With this particular development, however, the area CDOT staff, the CDOT executive team, and District 5 Transportation Commissioner Kathy Gilliland for advocating for North I-25 in general but particularly for this change
A big thanks to the Fix North I-25 Steering Committee, who have spent a lot of time on this issue, and the investors of Northern Colorado Prospers who have underwritten the cost of the lobbying, media relations, communications, and advocacy work on North I-25.
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About the I-25 North Express Lanes: Johnstown to Fort Collins Project:
- A now permanent third lane in both directions from SH 402 south of Loveland to SH 14 in Fort Collins
- Replacement of aging bridges and widening of others
- Improvement of bus service performance by adding new bus slip ramps
- Creation of pedestrian and bicycle access under I-25 at Kendall Parkway
- Connection of the Cache la Poudre River Regional Trail under I-25
- The project is scheduled to be completed by early 2022.
For more information, click here.