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Colorado officials back plans to fund interstate widening

Posted at 1:16 PM, Oct 20, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-20 21:22:54-04

DENVER (AP) — Colorado officials have backed spending plans to widen Interstate 25 in sections north and south of Denver.

The Gazette reports that the Colorado Transportation Commission on Thursday approved a resolution that pledges about $250 million for the widening of the roadway from Monument to Castle Rock, and they allotted $200 million to widen a section from Longmont to Loveland.

The state funding for the southern project is dependent on a $65 million federal grant plus $35 million in local funding.

The Coloradoan reports that the northern project would expand the interstate to three lanes in both directions, but the state funding depends on the U.S. Department of Transportation awarding a local planning organization a grant of up to $95 million.

Colorado State Patrol responds to more accidents on this stretch of I-25

Trooper Matthew Normandin said he's called out to I-25 south of Castle Rock for a crash multiple times a week.

"Goes down to two lanes, we've got heavy, heavy traffic," Trooper Normandin said. "People are going too fast and following too closely and that's what leads to most of our accidents."

On Friday and Saturday, Normandin said he can almost count on responding to a crash on I-25.

"We will have at least one crash, usually multiple," Normandin said. "If we could have it widened, we'd love too because it's going to alleviate some of those problems."

CDOT said it will know by the spring if the state is awarded the federal grant money.

If the state doesn't receive the grant, a spokeswoman for CDOT said local governments could be asked to foot the rest of the bill.

Construction on the project could start as early as 2019.