DENVER — Starting May 26, RTD will suspend its L Line and reroute its D and H Lines to Union Station.
This is part of the RTD Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project, which aims to improve safety and address deteriorating infrastructure at five rail intersections.
Those rail intersections include 15th and Stout, 17th and Stout, 15th and California, 17th and California and Broadway and Welton.
The changes mean there will be no light rail service operating in RTD's central corridor through September 2024, according to RTD.
"We're intentionally working with the businesses," said Debra A. Johnson, RTD's CEO. "There's an understanding of what's happening because we know this frustrates everyone."
Phil Turner, owner of Tuscany Coffee & Deli, which has been near 17th and Stout, said he isn't too concerned about the upcoming construction.
"You know, I think sometimes infrastructure projects come along and luckily I live in a city where we see a problem and we fix it," Turner said. "It's pretty amazing to live in a city that's always making things better."
His business has also endured the nearby 16th Street Mall construction. He told Denver7 that his regulars and tourists have made up his business for years and believes they will continue to do so.
Jeffrey Aitken, whose business Fluid Coffee Bar is also near 17th and Stout, said he's a bit more concerned.
"We don't really know quite what to expect yet," he said. "All the construction stuff doesn't help. You got to look further down the path and hope that this is going to help kind of revive downtown because you got to start somewhere."
RTD said it is still working on determining which of the five intersections it will begin construction on first.
However, a spokesperson told Denver7 construction on the five intersections will not be simultaneous.
For Aitken, that does bring a bit of relief but he's still concerned about who will be able to get to his business easily.
"I guess the concern we'd have is just as people were starting, business folks are starting to come back downtown, this is just one of, you know, something else that would maybe deter them to come back into the office," he said.
