Further widening possible for I-25 Gap

An idea to further widen I-25 between Monument and Castle Rock is possible, an El Paso County commissioner said Thursday.

Mark Waller went to Denver to discuss the idea with Michael Lewis, the new executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation.

“He didn’t say no, so that’s a good thing,” Waller said of Lewis.

The current proposal is to widen 18 miles of the highway from two lanes in each direction to three, with one of the lanes being a toll lane to generate revenue or to help cover the $350 million cost of the project.

The possibility of a toll lane has generated widespread opposition from commissioners, who passed an emergency resolution against toll lanes earlier in the week, and the public, although CDOT said it still hasn’t made a final decision.

“Having four lanes is the only way I’ll consider toll lanes for that project,” Waller said.

Waller said a three-lane widening will be insufficient in ten years as the state continues to grow and traffic congestion increases.

“I would really like to see us add that fourth lane now,” he said. “I think we’re in discussions that way. I think there are options to do the third-lane portion of this, and then kind of start working on the fourth-lane portion of it after it’s done.”

Waller said he doesn’t know how much an expanded widening would cost.

“Some folks are saying it’s going to double the cost of the project,” he said. “I don’t think that’s accurate, but it’s something we’ll try to figure out moving forward.”

Waller said state and local officials must be willing to consider any option that provides the best solution for the I-25 Gap.

“People might say it’s too much to ask for a four-lane widening,” he said. “But no one thought we’d be close to breaking ground on the three-lane project a year from now.”