AURORA | The city’s former “diamond” in the rough is now shiny new and ready for northeast region motorists, city officials say.
The new “diverging diamond interchange” at Interstate 70 and Picadilly Road is now open in all directions, marking what officials say is a major milestone in a long-planned infrastructure project aimed at improving connectivity in the region.
City officials opened the interchange to all traffic Feb. 9. The opening represents one of the final major steps in the I-70-Picadilly Interchange Project, which began construction in August 2023.
The diverging diamond interchange, or DDI, is designed with enhanced safety features to reduce risks for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists, according to city streets officials. Improvements include advanced traffic signal systems, wider lanes, improved lighting and a new bicycle and pedestrian path through the interchange.
Although the interchange is open, intermittent lane closures in each direction are expected to continue into the spring as crews complete work requiring mild temperatures.
The bike and pedestrian pathway is scheduled to open this spring, too.
A newly constructed stretch of Picadilly Road from East 19th Avenue to Smith Road will remain closed for several weeks while finishing work is completed.
City officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in November to celebrate substantial completion of the project. Since then, crews have finalized preparations to open the interchange fully to traffic. That work included widening the I-70 median and barriers, relocating utilities on the north part of Picadilly Road, connecting East 19th Avenue and driveway entrances, installing traffic signals and streetlights, linking East Colfax Avenue and the frontage road, building a new four-way signalized intersection at Picadilly Road, testing and smoothing concrete and asphalt paving, and placing pavement markings.
The project was supported through a partnership among the city of Aurora, the Colorado Department of Transportation, Adams County, the Aerotropolis Regional Transportation Authority and the Federal Highway Administration.
In 2019, Aurora received a $25 million federal grant from the Federal Highway Administration under the BUILD multimodal surface transportation grant program. The award was the maximum allowed per project and made the I-70-Picadilly Interchange Project one of six nationwide to receive that amount, city officials said in a statement. The funding helped accelerate construction of the long-planned project.
“By 2040, the Colorado Aerotropolis could see 74,000 new jobs, and the new Picadilly Road and I-70 interchange will serve as a vital corridor for accessing neighborhoods, job centers and the Denver International Airport,” Mayor Mike Coffman said in a statement.
Officials said the project is intended to reduce out-of-direction travel for residents and businesses along the growing I-70 corridor, while also improving safety and accessibility for non-motorized users in the northeast Denver metro area.