Ever since I moved to Northern Colorado about a decade ago, I cannot remember a time when Interstate 25 wasn't a mess. It seems like it's just the way it is supposed to be. As soon as the construction was done on the express lanes, traffic seemingly moved much better.

You know how road construction works in Colorado. As soon as one project is done, they are going to start on another nearby. That is exactly what happened just south of Berthoud. The expansion of the express lanes on Interstate 25 to Longmont has been ongoing for months. Soon, there is going to be an even bigger headache for those who use the Interstate to commute to work in Denver.

According to 9 News, a lane closure will block off a portion of the express lane for at least three years. Yeah, you read that right. Three years. The Colorado Department of Transportation will be closing the southbound express lane of Interstate 25 between Johnstown and Berthoud on Friday at 9 a.m. This closure will affect the areas between Johnstown's Highway 60 and Berthoud's Highway 56 through 2027.

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The three-year construction project for the final phase of the Northern Colorado Express Lanes will include concrete paving, reconstruction of the interchange at Interstate 25 and Weld County Road 34, and reconstruction of five other bridges along the express lanes.

The closure of southbound Interstate 25's express lane from Johnstown to Berthoud is to increase safety for work crews and commuters. In preparation for the upcoming lane closure, there will be traffic detours on Interstate 25 on Thursday, November 21, starting at 9 p.m. through 5 a.m. Friday, November 22. Road crews will be restriping lanes, moving barriers, and switching traffic into new lanes. More information on the traffic detours can be seen at cdot.gov.

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