Floyd Hill viaduct work will begin this fall; CDOT highlights text alerts and recent Genesee wildlife crossing success

CDOT officials told listeners that viaduct construction on the Floyd Hill project is scheduled to begin this fall and described the agency's use of text alerts and other communications to notify motorists about construction impacts and safety holds.

"Viaduct construction of our segmental bridge will begin in the fall and will be an engineering feat to observe," said Jessica Mikkelbus, CDOT regional transportation director for the Denver Metro Area. Mikkelbus said the Floyd Hill project began construction in July 2023 and that the project team launched a text alert system in May 2023; thousands of motorists had signed up for notifications used for rock‑scaling and blasting closures and other unanticipated construction impacts.

Commissioner Shelly Cook highlighted a related safety project on the I‑70 mountain corridor, the Genesee wildlife crossing, and said the crossing has substantially reduced wildlife collisions. "We were just glad to see that and look at something like a 90% reduction in the number of wildlife collisions along that corridor," Cook said.

CDOT representatives said the text alerts are limited to construction and safety messages and that similar alert systems will be rolled out for periodically opened tolling lanes near Idaho Springs. Motorists were directed to CDOT's website for signups and for CoTrip and other traveler information services that provide real‑time updates.

CDOT reminded drivers to obey reduced speeds in work zones and noted that construction schedules are coordinated to reduce, when possible, impacts to tourist traffic on the mountain corridor.