History

Planning for I-70 started nearly sixty years ago. As part of the recommendation for the “Valley Highway,” now known as I-25, it was determined that Denver’s major east-west thoroughfare should be located along 46th Avenue to the east of I-25 and 48th Avenue to the west. In 1947, Denver formally requested that the 46th/48th Avenue corridor be designated as a State Highway from Sheridan Boulevard to Colorado Boulevard. Detailed studies and design efforts continued in the 1950s and 1960s, and I-70 construction was completed in 1964.

I-70 East Corridor Environmental Impact Statement

In July 2003, CDOT and Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) began a joint study effort called the I-70 East Corridor Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). An EIS is typically a three to five-year decision-making process required before any major federally-funded transportation project can be built. The EIS ensures that issues affecting the community and the environment are identified and considered before making a final decision. The process is conducted by local, state, and federal agencies and is a requirement of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The purpose of the I-70 East Corridor EIS was to improve transportation along the I-70 highway corridor from I-25 to Tower Road and to explore potential rapid transit options from Downtown Denver to Denver International Airport.

Project Separation

In June 2006, the highway and transit elements of the I-70 East Corridor were separated into two independent projects, reflecting that they serve different travel markets, are located in different corridors, and have different funding sources. The intent of the separated highway environmental study, the I-70 East EIS, is to identify highway improvements along I-70 between I-25 and Tower Road that would improve safety, access, and mobility and address congestion. The transit study, the East Corridor EIS, is focusing on transit improvements between downtown Denver and Denver International Airport. Additional information on the East Corridor EIS can be found at: www.eastcorridor.com

Continual Public Outreach

Since the beginning of the EIS the project team has been reaching out to residents and business owners throughout the study area. The outreach has included different types of meetings and extensive media to provide information about the project. Community outreach continues to be an important component of the I-70 East EIS. This website contains information on how the project team is working with the public, property owners, businesses and various agencies in an effort to identify an agency preferred alternative.

Project Purpose and Need

Based on comments received during the scoping process at the beginning of the study, plus an early technical assessment of I-70 operating conditions, a statement of project purpose and need has been developed to guide the identification of alternatives and measures by which alternatives will be evaluated.

Project Purpose
The purpose of the project is to implement a transportation solution that improves safety, access, and mobility and addresses congestion on I-70.

Project Need
The need for this project results from the following issues:

• Increased transportation demand
  
• Limited transportation capacity
  
• Safety concerns
  
• Transportation infrastructure deficiencies

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