E-470 plans full I-70, I-76 interchanges and southern widening

E-470 plans to build full interchanges at Interstates 70 and 76 within the next decade while widening the southern toll-road corridor from Interstate 25 to Parker Road, with a possible extension to Smoky Hill Road.

E-470 Executive Director Joe Donahue presented the plans Sept. 21 to the Arapahoe County Board of County Commissioners. The authority has also set a goal of expanding its 47-mile corridor to six lanes by 2030.

Environmental work was beginning on the I-70 interchange, Donahue said. E-470 hopes to start construction within the next few years, with work expected to take about three years. The I-76 interchange would follow, but the presentation did not provide a firm construction date for either project. The authority’s presentation identifies the I-70 project as a full buildout with directional ramps.

The presentation did not specify costs or construction schedules for the interchanges or the I-25-to-Parker Road widening. E-470 said the southern project could eventually extend north to Smoky Hill Road as the area grows.

A separate Parker-area project has a more specific price tag. E-470 said it has about $2 million dedicated to a northbound Parker Road “button-hook” ramp intended to direct traffic to 20 Mile Road and reduce congestion at Parker Road. The briefing did not give a construction schedule for that project.

E-470 reported more than 80 million toll transactions through September, about 300,000 transactions per day and a June single-day record of roughly 405,000 transactions. The authority also reported about 81,000 daily vehicles and said traffic has grown roughly 6% annually in recent years.

Toll-processing changes

Drivers using Colorado toll facilities are expected to encounter more than one billing system. Plenary Roads Denver, which operates managed lanes on U.S. 36 and Central I-25, is expected to begin using its own toll-processing system around November 2026. The Colorado Transportation Investment Office is planning a separate system that could be in place by the end of 2027.

Existing ExpressToll transponders are expected to continue working on participating facilities. ExpressToll account holders will continue to receive bills through ExpressToll for Plenary facilities, while drivers without ExpressToll accounts will receive bills directly from Plenary. E-470 officials said multiple providers could confuse customers and complicate billing and customer service.

Parker plaza remains a target

The first of four planned Applegreen service plazas, on southbound E-470 in Parker, was targeted to open in late September. The presentation did not establish that it had opened as of the Sept. 21 briefing.

Applegreen is investing about $70 million in the four-plaza program, which also includes locations in Commerce City and Aurora. E-470 said it has invested about $10 million in site work, including removing former toll-plaza infrastructure, and expects to recover that investment through ground-lease revenue. The plazas are planned to offer fuel, electric-vehicle charging, restaurants, convenience stores and restrooms.