Weigh in on I-25 widening project between Castle Rock and Monument Hill

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. -- The Colorado Department of Transportation is holding a public meeting Thursday on plans to expand Interstate 25 between Castle Rock and Monument Hill.

The section of highway includes a 17-mile gap where the interstate narrows and goes down to two lanes in each direction.

"Congestion, high (75 mph) speeds, and climbing grades contribute to severe crashes and can lead to long periods of highway closures," the Colorado Department of Transportation said about the project. "Weekday and weekend travel delays and unreliability frustrate travelers now and will only get worse as Colorado's population grows from 5 million to more than 8 million in the next 20 years."

Colorado State Patrol Trooper Jaimie Jursevics and Trooper Cody Donahue also lost their lives near this stretch of highway.

Thursday's public meeting is from 5-7 p.m. at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Kirk Hall at 500 Fairgrounds Road in Castle Rock.

If yu can't attend the meeting, you can submit comments and read more about theproject here.

The project is expected to cost $300 million. CDOT said if they secure the funding, construction would start in the summer of 2019.