CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — A inoperable crane during an overnight closure to install bridge girders at the I-25 and Crystal Valley Interchange Project has resulted in delays for future closures.
The 1-25 and Crystal Valley Interchange Project began in early 2024. Its purpose is to construct "a new interchange at I-25 and Crystal Valley Parkway including a new bridge over I-25, reconstruction of Frontage Roads and new local road connections on both sides of I-25", according to a CDOT page for the project.
In one of the phases of the project, overnight closures on southbound I-25 between Plum Creek Parkway and Tomah Road were to allow for bridge girder installation.
The first of those overnight closures on that specific stretch of highway happened Sunday starting at 10:30 p.m.
The portion of the interstate was expected to reopen at 5:30 a.m. on Monday, but when that time rolled around, the stretch remained closed, causing bumper-to-bumper traffic all the way back to the Castle Rock outlets.
The stretch of highway didn't end up reopening until minutes before 7 a.m. Monday.
For those who've called the Crystal Valley community home for years, the project will be helpful, despite its most recent delay.
"It will help with the congestion," said Deidre Holden, who's lived in Crystal Valley for about seven years. "I mean, right now, of course, it's a mess, and you don't really like going that way because of, you know, the different changes in the roads and stuff like that."
For Jared Haymon, who owns several businesses just across the highway project, the current headaches are worth it.
"I mean, obviously we're really, really excited for that to wrap up as soon as possible," Haymon said. "We are excited for whenever it's finished, we do think that overall, it's going to be a net positive over the long-term."
Neither Haymon nor Holden were stuck in the traffic jam caused by the lengthy closure, but hope any delays are kept as minimal as possible.
"I certainly just hope that they can cure whatever delays that they have and hopefully make up for some lost time in whatever way that looks like, and hopefully they just get this wrapped up as soon as possible," Haymon said. "That would be, I think, best for everybody."
A spokesperson for the Town of Castle Rock said the overnight closures for bridge girder installation have now been postponed to sometime in March, when "traffic levels are typically lower on the highway."
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