Contractors expect new lanes of I-25 to be open by end of 2013

Two contractors that won the bid to widen I-25 north of Colorado Springs said they plan to have new lanes open by the end of 2013, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

The construction project is expected to widen I-25 to three lanes northbound and southbound from the Woodmen exit north to Monument.

Kiewit Western Co. is in charge of construction and Parsons Brinckerhoff is in charge of design.

CDOT said the two companies plan to work together and could save taxpayers money.

The initial estimate for construction was about $66.4 million. The winning bid came in at about $52 million. That means the project could save about $14 million, according to CDOT.

Construction on the new lanes of I-25 is happening in the median, so CDOT said lane closures should be minimal.

According to CDOT, construction is expected to start in early March.