The final piece of funding for the widening of I-25 between Monument and Castle Rock has been secured. Congressman Doug Lamborn announced a $65 million grant from US Department of Transportation to expand the 18 mile stretch of interstate.
"It’s undeniable that our district needed this grant in order to improve the I-25 gap. The USDOT’s announcement is a huge win for our entire region," Lamborn said in a news release.
"As I’ve worked with the Trump Administration over the last several months, my number one priority has been to secure this extremely important opportunity. I will continue working with this Administration to secure federal funding for Colorado’s Fifth Congressional District."
The grant makes up a sizeable chunk of the project’s $350 million price tag. CDOT has pledged $250 million, and voters in El Paso and Douglas counties committed an additional $35 million.
CDOT anticipates groundbreaking for the project later this summer. Mike Lewis, Executive Director for the Colorado Department of Transportation praised our states two Senators for their support of the project in a news release.
"Senators Bennet, Gardner and the rest of the Congressional Delegation stepped up to ensure that Colorado received awards for two critical transportation projects," said Lewis.
"The public has made transportation a priority and through robust partnerships, with local jurisdictions and other stakeholders we will save lives and increase travel reliability by delivering these projects. The Administration clearly sees the commitment of Coloradans to their transportation system and the innovative methods by which we are delivering critical projects."
As News 5 has previously reported, CDOT accelerated mandatory environmental impact studies in order to move up the time-line for the widening project. The public comment period on those studies closed last Wednesday.
