Construction crews have begun widening another stretch of E-470, this time between 104th Avenue and U.S. 85, as part of a project that will take the toll highway from four lanes to six. Work on this phase kicked off in October 2026 and is anticipated to wrap up in 2028, according to the E-470 Highway Authority.
The project is the latest piece of a multi-year effort to add capacity along the 47-mile toll corridor northeast of Denver, according to e-470.com. The authority says construction and traffic control may occasionally cause slowdowns for drivers, and crews have already scheduled overnight ramp work: a full closure of the southbound E-470 off-ramp at 104th Avenue was set for Thursday night from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., with drivers directed to exit instead at 120th Avenue or 96th Avenue and follow posted orange detour signage.
Just to the south, the segment between I-70 and 104th Avenue already shows what the finished product looks like. Major civil work on that 11-mile stretch wrapped up with all designed travel lanes now open to traffic, according to benesch.com, which reports the work added a third travel lane in each direction to improve mobility and ease congestion.
What's Already Been Built Along the Corridor
Beyond the extra lane, the I-70-to-104th Avenue segment brought two new interchanges, the expansion of an existing interchange, a widened bridge over E-470, a new collector road, wildlife fencing and freshly paved asphalt, per the same account. The work also extended the High Plains Trail by four miles with a 10-foot-wide concrete multi-use path, adding to a six-mile trail extension completed with an earlier segment between Quincy Avenue and I-70.
That earlier Quincy-to-I-70 widening, which also added a third lane in each direction, was estimated to cost roughly $99 million and was funded entirely through toll revenue, with no local, state or federal money involved, according to e-470.com project documents. Construction on that phase began in June 2019 and was slated to finish by the end of 2020. The authority's 2014 investment-grade traffic study had concluded the section would need widening to keep pace with expected traffic, the same documents show.
Today, E-470 carries three travel lanes in each direction from Parker Road to Quincy Avenue, from Quincy Avenue to I-70, and from I-70 to 104th Avenue — the stretch of improvements now pushing further north toward U.S. 85, as reported by CBS Colorado.
Drivers Describe a Changed Corridor
Joe Donahue told CBS Colorado that traffic patterns along the corridor have shifted considerably over the past five years, with noticeably more commercial traffic. He said that commercial drivers rely heavily on U.S. 85 and benefit from having a third lane available for acceleration.
Donahue also recalled how construction disruption can ripple into everyday routines — customers accustomed to a 25-minute trip to the airport instead faced a 40-minute trip during past construction, leaving them feeling rushed, he said.
What Drivers Can Expect During Construction
The E-470 Highway Authority says construction on the new phase will involve widening of roadways and bridges, occasional overnight lane and ramp closures, reduced shoulder space, and barriers installed around the highway to protect work crews. Roadwork is expected to be most noticeable on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., and the authority says it will post signage alerting drivers to the project and provide weekly project updates as work progresses.
The 104th Avenue-to-U.S. 85 widening is expected to be completed by December 2028, and the broader effort to widen E-470 remains part of a multi-year plan addressing congestion across the corridor, funded through surplus toll revenue rather than general tax dollars.
