I-70 Mountain Express Lanes (EB Peak Period Shoulder Lanes)

RS&H provided construction administration and observation for this $72 million Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) project for CDOT Region 1 located along I-70 from Empire Junction to east of Idaho Springs. The I-70 Mountain Express Lane project created a shoulder along the existing roadway that during peak travel periods operates as a third travel lane. The project also incorporated modification of two interchanges, two bridge replacements, innovative foundations, extensive retaining walls, new drainage and water quality features, Active Traffic Management, and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). Construction required navigating several challenging construction environments, including high altitude, environmental constraints, rockfall mitigation, and severe weather. The project was completed under a very aggressive one-and-a-half-year schedule with multiple Release for Construction packages.

Services included:

• Inspection of traffic management features, including variable speed limits and demand-based adjustable tolls
• Inspection of tolling and electrical
• Inspection of drainage and water quality
• Inspection of new bridge construction with innovative foundations
• Inspection of overlay of new hot mix asphalt driving surface
• Inspection of rotomiling and resurfacing
• Inspection of guardrails
• Inspection of culvert lining
• Inspection of rockfall mitigation
• Inspection of retaining wall construction
• Oversight of materials testing