EVERGREEN, Co. — Over the next two weeks, motorists along Interstate 70 near the Evergreen exit will experience traffic holds and delays due to rock blasting.
It is all part of the Colorado Department of Transportation's (CDOT) plan for a new Pegasus Bustang stop in Evergreen. The shuttle route takes riders from Denver to various ski destinations, including Idaho Springs, Frisco, and Vail. The new stop will service riders who do not want to travel into Denver to grab the Pegasus.
“This is just offering up another option to hop onto Pegasus. Pegasus is great, especially during the winter seasons if you’re going up skiing,” said Stacia Sellers, CDOT communications lead. “Our ultimate goal is to remove vehicles off of the roadway. We want to keep I-70 moving.”
So how do you turn the side of a rocky hill into a flat surface parking lot with room for 40 spaces and a bus stop? With explosives buried 25 feet underground.
CDOT said underground rock blasting is the safest and easiest way to move the heavy earth at the location. Over the next two weeks, crews have planned three blasts to remove thousands of cubic feet of rock at the Evergreen exit along westbound I-70.
Rock blasting will take place during the weeks of Aug. 12 and Aug. 19, with plans of wrapping up around Aug. 23. Blasts will only occur once per day and up to twice per week, according to CDOT.
If you are on I-70 or US-40, you will be held in traffic until the blasting area is clear. Drivers can expect to be held for 20 minutes, with delays of up to 45 minutes if you are the last car in the queue.
“That’s really just to make sure that everybody is safe at the end of the day, “ said Sellers.
Beginning Monday, eastbound drivers will be stopped just east of County Road 65 (exit 248), while westbound drivers will be stopped at the Genesee Wildlife Crossing (between exits 254 and 256). US-40 traffic will be held just north and south of I-70. Drivers in the area will be warned by a series of air horn blasts.
See a map of the rock blasting location in the animated GIF below:
CDOT said there will not be a detour. Drivers are asked to stay on the road and wait for the hold to be released.
“We encourage folks to just stay the course. So, stay on I-70, or stay on US-40, and then traffic will pick up,” said Sellers.
Drivers can opt-in to text notifications for traffic conditions by texting “floydhill” to 21000. You can also call CDOT’s hotline at 720-994-2368.
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