Today,
I-70 is a four-lane corridor across much of the state. Its narrow
shoulders, narrow median and poor pavement conditions make traveling
I-70 an uncomfortable and challenging experience. This situation
is likely to worsen with increasing demand in the years ahead.
The widening and reconstruction strategy will
provide the following benefits to motorists traveling I-70:
| |
Enhanced
Safety |
| |
• |
Wider shoulders and median to
provide safe zones for travelers |
| |
• |
Upgraded interchanges, bridges,
roadway alignment and roadway cross-sections that meet today's
standards |
| |
• |
Develop a long-range plan for
continuous frontage roads on both sides for better incident
management |
| |
Greater Capacity |
| |
• |
Expanded right of way, typically
by 150 feet |
| |
• |
Six lanes in rural areas (roughly
80 percent of corridor) |
| |
• |
Up to ten lanes in urban areas
where warranted (roughly 20 percent of corridor) |
| |
• |
Future transportation improvement
corridor in the median of rural areas |
| |
Other Benefits |
| |
• |
Four lanes operational during construction |
| |
• |
Improved interchanges with enhanced
access management |
| |
• |
A corridor plan for environmental
enhancements |
| |
• |
Smoother, safer and stronger
pavement |
