google-site-verification: googlee16c7726ecc34510.html

I-70 Picadilly Interchange

I-70 Picadilly interchange logo

Questions About This Project?

Email: [email protected]
Hotline: 720.477.3799

Upcoming Traffic Impacts

  • From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 31, Picadilly Road will be fully closed between Smith Road and 19th Avenue for asphalt pavement work. Drivers will be detoured to Sicily Street, then 19th Avenue for alternate access. Access to all businesses will be maintained.
  • Please remember that construction activities are site and weather dependent and subject to change.

Continuing Traffic Impacts

  • The speed limit on I-70 is reduced to 65 mph. Please use caution and obey the posted speed limit when traveling through the construction zone. 
  • The right shoulders and median shoulders on both eastbound and westbound I-70 near Colfax Avenue between mile markers 287 and 288 will be closed for the foreseeable future.
  • Both northbound and southbound directions of Powhaton Road between Sixth Avenue and First Avenue will have a full closure around the clock from July 15 to Aug. 12 due to a city project to install new infrastructure. Use alternate routes and follow the signed detour. 

Work Progress Update

Embankment activities are reaching a new milestone this week as crews have finished building up ramp embankments, and are now moving material to level the embankments for the roadway. Trucks are still hauling in material to the work zone off eastbound I-70.

This week, crews are splicing and driving h-pile, a process of joining short segments of prefabricated materials such as steel or concrete and lodging them deep into the earth using hammering, vibration or pressure. Please prepare for significant construction noise when traveling on I-70 near the project site. 
 
Be cautious of slow-moving trucks in a high volume/speed zone. They do not slow down, speed up or maneuver quickly. Please give them extra space as they enter and exit the work zone.

Sign up to receive weekly project updates.


About the Project

This design-build project will extend Picadilly Road between Colfax Avenue and Smith Road via an interchange onto I-70 in Aurora. Improved north-south connectivity will unlock a roadway network and make Picadilly Road a key arterial point for the region. The interchange will improve safety, alleviate congestion, and connect people and commerce to job centers, new neighborhoods and the nation's third busiest airport.

What is Design-Build?

Design-Build (or D/B) is a way of building things where the design and construction of a project happen at the same time under a single contract — allowing for better collaboration between the design team and construction team.

D/B saves time and money because we don’t have to wait for one phase of the project to finish before starting the next. The design-builder has a plan in place to ensure quality throughout every phase. They make sure the improvements are built to industry standards.

At the start of a D/B project, only about one-third of the design is complete. The design team starts with the first things to be built, and once those plans are approved, the construction team gets to work. While they're building, the designers are already working on the next part of the project. This cycle continues until the whole project is done.
 
There are sometimes gaps between major construction activities. During this time, work is happening behind the scenes as the construction team and the design team collectively review the project plans in real time and make any necessary changes along the way — ensuring a quality end product that is as safe and effective as possible. 

This image is a map showing the location of the I-70 Picadilly interchange that is under construction

Project Details

The diverging diamond interchange (DDI) features enhanced safety measures that reduce risks to drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists, including:

  • Advanced signaling systems.
  • Wider lanes.
  • Improved lighting.
  • New bicycle and pedestrian path through the DDI.

This will provide safer and more accessible infrastructure for the northeast metro area and will improve the safety and quality of life for non-motorized users.

Check out the many innovations of the DDI model.

Graphic illustration of diverging diamond interchange showing arrows with traffic movements

This is a graphic of the planned interchange at I-70 and Picadilly showing how traffic will interact with pedestrians and bikes.


Project Benefits

The region is expected to experience many additional benefits from the project. These include:

  • Reduction of emissions, freight time and hauling costs.
  • Minimized out-of-direction travel for area residents and businesses.
  • Savings of up to $132 million in vehicle-operating and travel time.
  • Reduced congestion and bottlenecks.

Project Background

City funding, along with a $25 million federal grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and additional financial support from the Aerotropolis Regional Transportation Authority, will pay for the interchange.

The city received its full request for funding from the FHWA and the maximum amount permitted per project under the BUILD multimodal surface transportation grant program. The I-70 Picadilly Interchange Project is one of six projects in the entire country to receive this amount.

Image of timeline for I-70 Picadilly construction project with milestones

Project Schedule

The idea for a new interchange at I-70 and Picadilly Road was first presented in 2007 during an environmental assessment of the I-70/E-470 Interchange Complex. In 2020, a National Environmental Policy Act document allowed the city to proceed. Construction began in the fall 2023 and will continue until late 2025.

City of Aurora | All Rights Reserved | Powered by CivicLive | © 2024 Civiclive.