What to expect in Denver from Interstate 70's major detours

Major detours are coming to Interstate 70 this week.

What’s happening: The Colorado Department of Transportation is kicking off its "Mile High Shift" project, a plan to move both directions of I-70 traffic 30 feet below ground and underneath a new 4-acre public park for sporting events, concerts, outdoor movies and more.

What’s closing: The Colorado Boulevard on-ramp to westbound I-70 will be closed from 8pm on May 18 to 5am on May 24 to divert traffic to the new lowered section.

• The highway also will close in both directions between Washington Street and I-270 from May 21 at 10pm to May 24 at 5am.
• The eastbound off-ramp to Steele/Vasquez will be closed for eight months, starting at 5am on May 24.

The big picture: The upcoming construction is part of a $1.2 billion Central 70 Project to rebuild the highway between Brighton Boulevard and Chambers Road, a 10-mile stretch carrying more than 200,000 vehicles a day.

• Animated videos of the finished project can be seen here.