Denver’s Road and Rail Progress Is Fast But Not Furious
As Denver-area transportation officials debated how best to move people through the increasingly congested Interstate 25 corridor, mass transit advocates dug in their heels for a light-rail line. Highway advocates pressed for more lanes. The planners ultimate decision to fit a rail line into an expanded highway corridor accommodated both sides and thrust Denver into a two-pronged project that may be the example for others in the growing region.
Branded with Jurassic Park flair, the $1.67-billion design-build project dubbed "T-REX" (Transportation Expansion Project) is rolling along despite state budget woes that scaled back roadwork by $800 million and careless night drivers (ENR 10/29/ 01 p. 14). The smoothest part has been construction. Under the supervision of design-build veterans, the job is 50% complete and on schedule for completion two years ahead of the state Dept. of Transportations originally planned 2008 opening. It is founded on a multisource funding plan, coordination among scores of agencies and firms and a massive public outreach program.