University Park

*Inside* T-Rex Update

January 30, 2004

January 30, 2004 T - R E X
Big Change at the Interchange
Tuesday, Feb. 3, is set to be a banner day for drivers who use the I-225/I-25 interchange.
That’s the day T-REX is scheduled to open the vehicle tunnel from southbound I-225 to
southbound I-25.
The tunnel will take traffic under the interchange and eliminate the merge from left to right
on southbound I-25. Drivers also will be able to exit at Belleview Avenue, an option that was
eliminated months ago to allow construction of the new alignment.
The tunnel will initially open with one lane, but will have two lanes in its final configuration,
when the entire interchange is complete.
The tunnel is scheduled to open by the morning rush hour Feb. 3, weather permitting.
Below are some facts about the new tunnel.

This is the only vehicle tunnel in an interchange in the metro Denver area.
• The tunnel from southbound I-225 to southbound I-25 is 350 feet long and 50 feet wide.
• The tunnel will have two 12-foot lanes, one 8-foot shoulder, one 4-foot shoulder, and
one 14-foot fire emergency zone.
• Approximately 7,819 cubic yards of concrete was used to build the tunnel. That’s
enough concrete to build a 4-inch thick, 6-foot wide sidewalk along I-25 from
Broadway to Lincoln Avenue in Douglas County.
Intelligent Transportation Systems
• A fire alarm system will notify Denver Fire Department and the Colorado Department
of Transportation Traffic Operations Center when there is an incident.
Continued on Page 2
T-REX Updates
Local PIOs
The next T-REX update for Public
Information Officers is scheduled for
Thursday, Feb. 5, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the
REX Center, 7200 S. Alton Way,
Centennial. The meeting will take place
in the Green Room, just inside the main
entrance to the project office.
In addition to lunch, the agenda includes
a project update, including information
on the demolition and reconstruction of
the Colorado Boulevard and Hampden
Avenue bridges.
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Elected Officials
Briefing Set
The next T-REX Elected
Officials Briefing is scheduled
for March 11, 2004, 7:30 a.m. to
9 a.m. in the Colorado
Department of Transportation
Auditorium.
An e-mail reminder will be sent
early next month, but please mark
the date on your calendar now.
Crews demolish the south half of
the Hampden Avenue bridge.
January 30, 2004
Crews demolish the east half of the Colorado Boulevard bridge.
Changes intended to Ease Congestion at
Colorado Boulevard interchange
Following the traffic switch on Colorado Boulevard Jan. 4,
T-REX has made several adjustments to traffic patterns to help
minimize inconvenience to the traveling public.
The changes affect the Colorado Boulevard off-ramp from
northbound I-25. The top of the exit now has a "free" right, which
provides drivers a dedicated right lane that ends at Mexico. In
addition, there is also a through right lane and through left lane
onto Colorado Boulevard. This configuration allows traffic to
flow through that intersection more smoothly.
Once construction in the Mexico Avenue and Colorado
Boulevard intersection begins in a few months, the dedicated
right-turn lane will be removed and drivers will have only the
three lanes on Colorado Boulevard.
Construction Schedule;
Week of Feb. 1, 2004
Southbound I-25 will be closed at Hampden Avenue the night
of Monday, Feb. 2, beginning at 9 p.m. so crews can shift
traffic lanes to the west through the I-25/I-225 interchange. All
lanes on southbound I-25 will be open by 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.
During this overnight closure, southbound motorists will be
directed to exit at Hampden Avenue and go west to University
Boulevard, then south on University to Belleview Avenue and
east on Belleview to I-25.
The southbound I-225 to southbound I-25 ramp will be closed
the night of Monday, Feb. 2, beginning at 9 p.m. so crews can
shift the lanes of traffic through the new interchange tunnel.
This new tunnel will open to traffic by 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.
During the overnight closure of this ramp, motorists wanting to
access southbound I-25 should exit at Yosemite Street or DTC
Boulevard and go south to Belleview Avenue then west on
Belleview to I-25.
T-REX Display Hits the Road
The Transportation Expansion (T-REX) Project will
introduce its new photo display Feb. 3 at the Greenwood
Village City Hall, 6060 S. Quebec St. The display, T-REX:
Transforming Transportation, will be in the first-floor lobby
for anyone interested in viewing it. The display will be there
until Feb 21.
Call Marion Combs, T-REX Public Information Team,
at 303-357-8576 if you have any questions or if you would
like to suggest a location for the display.
Tunnel opening (continued from page 1)
• Four cameras will monitor traffic flow in the tunnel.
There are cameras at the tunnel entrance and exit in
addition to two cameras mounted in the tunnel.
• Signals at the tunnel entrance will control traffic flow if
lanes in the tunnel are blocked.
Construction phases for the tunnel
• Tunnel construction began in September 2002.
• The first part of tunnel construction included building a
detour for the original southbound I-225 to southbound I-
25 ramp.
• The second and third phases included wall work that
supports and lines the entire tunnel.
• Approximately 20,200 cubic yards of dirt was excavated
for construction. That’s enough dirt to cover a football
field to a depth of 12 feet.
• The southbound I-225 to southbound I-25 tunnel is built
100 feet from a light rail tunnel. Because these tunnels
are so close to each other, they had to be constructed at
the same time.
Tunnel Lighting
• There are 115 high-pressure sodium lamps in the tunnel
that will automatically adjust brightness during daylight
and nighttime to help ensure driver safety.