After 3½ years of construction, U.S. 36 expansion complete 

After 3½ years of construction, U.S. 36 expansion complete

U.S. 36 commuters, rejoice.

After 3 ½ years of construction, major work on the U.S. 36 expansion project is finished, state transportation officials announced Wednesday.

Drivers can now travel the new express lanes through the final phase of the turnpike widening project — from 88th Street in Louisville to Table Mesa Drive in Boulder — for free during a brief testing period, officials said.

Express-lane drivers, however, still will have to pay between Federal Boulevard and 88th Street, where tolling began in July, according to Colorado Department of Transportation spokeswoman Megan Castle.

«There are two tolling entries between Boulder and Louisville, those entries are free to use during the test period,» Castle said. «Cars can go in there, try it out, see what it’s like, get used to where the entrances are, the exists are, learn the signage.»

She warned that though major work has wrapped up on U.S. 36, there will still be some periodic construction.

Castle said she didn’t know when testing would end and tolling would begin in the express lanes between Boulder and Louisville, though it’s likely to be sometime this spring.

The end of major work was good news to Mary VonBreck, who started avoiding traveling on U.S. 36 in recent years because of the construction.

A few vehicles can be seen trying out the new express lanes on eastbound U.S. 36 east of Cherryvale Road in Boulder on Wednesday. (David R. Jennings / Staff Photographer)

VonBreck, who works from her home in Boulder, said she was curious to give the road a try again.

«The whole time I’ve lived here, pretty much, it’s just been a nightmare,» she said of the construction.

Ward resident Keith Reich, who drives a lot for his swimming pool maintenance company, said he was giving some serious thought to using the toll lanes when business picks back up this spring.

Reich said he’s already noticed that traveling on U.S. 36 seems a bit smoother and safer, but, he pointed out, there’s still traffic.

«That’s great that they’re wrapping up construction,» he said. «It seems like that was going on forever and it was sort of dangerous for a while. It was kind of like driving in a pinball machine.»

Years-long widening project

The work on U.S. 36, which began in July 2012, is a public-private partnership between CDOT, the Regional Transportation District, Plenary Roads Denver and the High Performance Transportation Enterprise, a government-owned, independent business within CDOT that pursues new ways of financing transportation projects.

The $497 million project widened U.S. 36 from two lanes in each direction to three. The finished product includes two free reconstructed general-purpose lanes in each direction, one new toll/carpool lane in each direction, and a bikeway.

Officials said the project’s goal is to give commuters a choice between cycling, carpooling, bus rapid transit and tolls.

When testing is finished, drivers using the toll lanes will pay between $1.75 and $9.35 for the full trip between Table Mesa Drive and Federal Boulevard, depending on the time of day and whether or not they have a toll pass.

There also are special event roll rates, such as an extra $0.60 to $1.50 on home football game days at the University of Colorado.

Officials are still urging U.S. 36 drivers to sign up for a pre-paid ExpressToll account and order a pass, which ensures they’ll get a lower toll rate than if they are billed using their license plates.

Prepaid toll accounts

The pre-paid account requires an initial deposit of $35, from which tolls are deducted. Those accounts are good for all express lanes, including those on E-470, the Northwest Parkway, Interstate 25 and Interstate 70, where CDOT recently launched an eastbound mountain toll lane.

There are two types of passes available: a $15 switchable transponder for drivers who expect to carpool frequently and a free static transponder for single drivers.

Drivers can carpool without paying a toll, as long as they purchase the switchable transponder and set up a pre-paid account. Carpooling will be defined as two occupants — the driver plus one — until 2017, when three occupants will be required.

Motorcycles also can travel in the toll lanes for free with a pre-paid account and pass.

Since May 2015, drivers have purchased more than 62,000 switchable transponders, Castle said. The number of new ExpressToll accounts has grown from 48,299 opened in 2013 to 127,077 opened in 2015, Castle said.

«People are understanding that they can save money every time by using a pass and they can also save time by using the express lanes,» she said.