With the obvious growth in the Castle Pines North area, and in Douglas County as a whole, the need for highway widening and construction should not seem surprising. To that end, CPN residents will have a number of I-25 construction projects to contend with over then next several years.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), along with the cities and counties bordering I-25, are undergoing and/or planning many construction projects. The two projects that will affect the community first are the replacement of the I-25/Castle Pines Parkway Bridge and the replacement of the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge, which is just south of CPN. Multiple projects will follow these two.

Current Projects:

I-25/Castle Pines Parkway Bridge

Construction on the I-25/Castle Pines Parkway Bridge, (exit 188) over I-25 began on Friday, May 21. On that day, the bridge was reduced to only one lane. Since then, someone has been directing traffic via an alternation system. Until this phase of construction is over, drivers should continue to expect short delays.

The Castle Pines Parkway Bridge is scheduled to be replaced with a multi-lane expanded one that will provide a new bridge over I-25 with two lanes eastbound, two lanes westbound, and a center turn lane. A loop ramp will be constructed in the southeast quadrant providing a direct movement from eastbound Castle Pines to northbound I-25, and the northbound off ramp to Castle Pines will be relocated to allow the loop ramp construction.

The construction manager assures us that the Castle Pines Parkway Bridge will NOT be closed to traffic (except on brief occasions – see below), however there will be lane closures during construction that may cause some delays.

There may be brief times at night when I-25 at exit 188 will close. If so, closure will occur between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. If and/or when this occurs, traffic will be funneled off and then back on the highway.

Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) Bridge

The existing Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) Bridge over I-25, just north of Wolfsenberger Road, is slated for replacement, and work is scheduled to begin in late May or early June.

As part of the South I-25 Mainline Widening, the existing bridge will be replaced with a new one designed to accommodate six lanes of I-25, as well as provide improved safety for the northbound on-ramp from Wolfsenberger. The new bridge will be constructed just south of the existing railroad bridge.

Construction will begin in accordance with the Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse’s “active months.” This mouse is on the endangered species list, and lives in the UPRR Bridge’s vicinity.

The mouse is out of hibernation May through August, so these are the only months in which construction can be conducted.

Due to this potential construction obstacle, “it may be noticeable that construction will start, stop for an extended period of time, and start again,” says CDOT.

Future Projects:

A new interchange near the new Sky Ridge Hospital in Lone Tree
A new interchange approximately two miles south of the existing Plum Creek Interchange
The addition of an extra northbound and southbound lane on the north side of Castle Pines Parkway
The construction of a two-lane frontage road, east of I-25, between Castle Pines Parkway and the Schweiger Interchange
Widening of I-25 between Meadows and 5th Street
A new interchange, which will be north of the Meadows/Founders Interchange and south of the Castle Pines Interchange
Reconstruction of the existing Plum Creek Interchange
Widening of I-25 south of 5th Street

Ridgegate Interchange (a new Interchange near the new Sky Ridge Hospital)

The City of Lone Tree will construct a new I-25 interchange, which will be called the “Ridgegate Interchange” approximately one mile south of the existing Lincoln Interchange near the new Sky Ridge Hospital.

According to CDOT, the plans for this project are essentially complete. The project will also include the construction of a frontage road, which will be on the east side of I-25, from Sweiger to the Ridgegate Interchange, and will add an additional I-25 through-lane.

The current cost estimate for this project is approximately $18 million, including $10.5 million from the City of Lone Tree. The exact begin-date for this project has not yet been determined.

Crystal Valley/Dawson Ridge (south of Plum Creek exit, formerly referred to as the Douglas Lane Interchange)

This project is being managed by Douglas County, with CDOT as a participating agency. This is a proposed new interchange, approximately two miles south of the existing Plum Creek Interchange. The proposed new access point to I-25 will be located at the existing Territorial Road and Douglas Lane, which will be renamed to Crystal Valley Parkway and then to Dawson Ridge Parkway in the future.

The proposed interchange is expected to relieve existing congestion at the Plum Creek Parkway Interchange. Originally, construction was expected to begin in 2004, but an actual exact begin-date has not yet been determined.

For more information on this project visit the Town of Castle Rock’s web site at

http://www.ci.castlerock.co.us/Page.asp?NavID=583.

Also, visit the Douglas County web site at
http://www.douglas.co.us/Public%20Meetings/CVDR%20Parkway%20Interchange/crystal%20valley.htm.

I-25, Meadows to Sweiger

This project will add an extra northbound and southbound lane on the north side of Castle Pines Parkway. (Extra lanes have already been constructed from Castle Pines Parkway through to the Founders/Meadows Parkway exit, but are not currently “striped” for use).

CDOT estimates that the design of this project is approximately 90 percent complete. Because the existing outside shoulders are 12 feet, the widening will consist of adding 10 feet outside shoulders and restriping the existing shoulders as through-lanes.

The widening will be from just south of Schweiger to Castle Pines Parkway (as stated above, the extra lanes already exist from Castle Pines Parkway to the Founders/Meadows Parkway exit, but are not currently in use). The extra northbound and southbound lanes will drop at the Founders/Meadows Parkway exit.

The current cost estimate for this project is approximately $8.5 million, however, there is currently no funding allocated for this project, so a begin-date for this project has also not yet been determined.

I-25 Frontage Road from Castle Pines to Sweiger (includes Surrey Ridge area)

This project consists of constructing a two-lane frontage road, east of I-25, between Castle Pines Parkway and the Schweiger Interchange. This project is currently planned to be combined with the I-25, Meadows to Ridgegate project listed above.

The current Castle Pines Parkway Interchange Project will construct a small portion of the frontage road north of Castle Pines Parkway. CDOT estimates that the design of this project is approximately 90 percent complete, and that the current cost estimate for this project is approximately $9.5 million. As with the rest of the “future” CDOT projects, there is no funding allocated for the construction of this project, a begin-date for this project has not yet been determined.

Widening of I-25 between Meadows and 5th Street

This project will add a third lane in each direction between Founders/Meadows Parkway and 5th Street in Castle Rock. The extra lane will connect to the lane that has already been constructed from the Founders/Meadows Bridge going north.

The project will also realign I-25 through Castle Rock, moving the centerline to the east between Wolfensberger and Liggett Road, thereby flattening the curves. The three through- lanes in each direction will taper down to two through lanes south of 5th Street, before the Plum Creek structures.

The construction cost estimate for this project is $21 million and there is no funding allocated for the project, so a begin-date for this project has not yet been determined.

North Castle Rock Interchange (formerly referred to as the Castlegate Interchange)

The Town of Castle Rock has decided not to proceed with the I-25 proposed North Castle Rock Interchange, and to instead concentrate its efforts on the North Meadows Drive extension, and plans to move forward with its plan to widen US 85 to four lanes within the next 10 years.

Other projects the Town will focus on are an extension of Plum Creek Parkway between Gilbert Street and Ridge Road and the extension of Coachline Road to the Wilcox Street and Plum Creek intersection.

The Town is currently considering options on how to fund its major transportation projects in the near and distant future. One option is to request voter approval for a transportation bond issue in April of 2005.

Members of the Castle Pines Village Homeowners Association are against this project and are accepting petitions in opposition. Visit http://www.castlepinesvillage.org/ for more information.

There is additional information located on the Town of Castle Rock web site at http://www.crgov.com/page.asp?NavID=563.

Plum Creek Interchange

This project is being managed by the Town of Castle Rock. This project will reconstruct the Plum Creek Interchange. It is undetermined when construction will begin.

Widening of I-25 south of 5th Street

The design of this project has not begun, and it is undetermined when construction will begin.

Visit the CDOT website http://www.southi25.com/Castle_Pines.htm for more construction information.