AURORA, Colo. — Construction on the newest interstate interchange on the east side of the Denver metro area is about to begin.
A groundbreaking ceremony will be held Tuesday in Aurora for the I-70 Picadilly Interchange Project.
The public is invited to attend the groundbreaking and learn more about the project at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Picadilly Road and East 19th Avenue.
Construction on the interchange at Picadilly Road and I-70 will begin in August and is expected to be completed in late 2025.
The project will extend Picadilly Road between Colfax Avenue and Smith Road and link eight new miles of roadway with an interchange onto I-70.
Officials said the Aurora interchange project will unlock a roadway network that will aid new development, job centers, neighborhoods and Denver International Airport.
Project leaders said the region will experience a reduction of emissions, freight time and hauling costs. By reducing congestion and improving safety, the project will bring an estimated $132 million in vehicle-operating and travel-time savings.
The new interchange, which will feature a diverging diamond interchange (DDI) design as well as new bike and pedestrian paths, is partially funded with a $25 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The idea of a new interchange at I-70 and Picadilly Road was first presented in 2007.
In January, Aurora awarded Lawrence Construction Co. as the prime design-build contractor.
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