CDOT briefs Clear Creek commissioners on Floyd Hill progress, blasting schedule and wildlife mitigation

CDOT project staff told the Clear Creek County Board of County Commissioners on Nov. 6 that work on the Floyd Hill section of I‑70 is progressing and will continue through the decade. Kurt Kianka, CDOT project director, said construction began in July 2023 and the team expects the westbound alignment to be in place by 2027 and work to finish around 2029.

The presentation focused on heavy earthwork and structures. Kianka said crews have removed hundreds of thousands of tons of rock, installed more than two miles of wildlife fencing and completed a wildlife underpass near Genesee. "We've removed over 600,000 tons of rock as part of the project," Kianka said. CDOT also showed video of wildlife using an underpass as part of the agency's mitigation efforts.

The presentation outlined what residents can expect this winter. Jeff Hampton, a CDOT resident engineer, said blasting and rock-scaling will continue through 2026 but at lower frequency over time as larger, more efficient blasts create bigger benches. "We'll be blasting through 2026; by Memorial Day the scheduled 20-minute closures should be much less frequent," Hampton said. He added that some brief overnight full closures are planned for Dec. 8–9 to erect temporary falsework.

CDOT described bridge construction techniques for the corridor's long spans, including segmental, cast-in-place construction using form travelers and a "pier table" method that allows much of the work to be done over live traffic while minimizing lane closures. The agency pointed to plans to build Pier 17 columns in early December and begin sequential segmental work on the span that will eventually become a roughly 300‑foot-long tee section.

Commissioners focused on local impacts and communications. The county asked CDOT to provide timely public notice about closures because frequent, short stops have affected local businesses. CDOT noted it has about 19,000 subscribers to its text alert system and plans targeted messages for closures and ramp changes.

CDOT also described coordination with local stakeholders, saying river and rafting access would be prioritized as work moves to piers and crossings in river locations. Hampton said CDOT plans construction to avoid the busy summer rafting season where possible and to return certain access points to recreational users between construction phases.

CDOT recommended quarterly follow-ups with county maintenance and commissioners to keep coordination active as the project transitions from heavy blasting to sustained structural work. The county agreed that regular check-ins and clearer closure notices would help local commerce and emergency-response planning.

The Floyd Hill project update concludes a multi-year, multi-phase effort that CDOT says will shift traffic patterns, add long-span bridges and install significant wildlife mitigation features. CDOT will return with more detailed traffic and safety data in the coming months.

The county did not take a formal action on the presentation; commissioners requested continued coordination and improved public messaging as construction intensifies.