The I-70 Central Corridor in Denver is one of Colorado's economic backbones. It is home to 1,200 businesses and provides the regional connection to Denver International Airport, carrying upwards of 200,000 vehicles per day. The Central 70 Project reconstructed a 10-mile stretch of I-70 between Brighton Boulevard and Chambers Road, added one new Express Lane in each direction, removed the aging 57-year-old viaduct, lowered the interstate between Brighton and Colorado Boulevards, and constructed a 4-acre park over a portion of the lowered interstate. CDOT made a number of commitments to the local community - identified as one of the most polluted zip codes in America - as part of this project, which focused on mitigating the impacts of construction noise and dust to contributing funding to affordable housing and fresh food access. Participants will also visit Heron Pond Open Space and Carpio-Sanguinette Park, Denver's first designated Natural Area. Once a repository for smelting and other industrial by-products, it is now a restored native habitat and stormwater treatment wetland representing years of community investment and collaboration. Project partners worked together and closely engaged the community using non-traditional outreach techniques to undertake a major restoration and rehabilitation project to create a safe and useable community open space. Master Planning for the park was completed in 2017 and construction is occurring in multiple phases and will still be in progress during the field trip. In addition to site remediation and native habitat restoration, the park is on track to achieve SITES certification. The park will feature an experiential habitat trail, green stormwater infrastructure, amphitheater, picnic pavilion, playground, trails, and an overlook to the pond and surrounding wetlands, with educational signage in English and Spanish. The new park offers underserved, urban residents new ways to enjoy the outdoors and connect with nature in their community.
This is a shorter field trip located in the heart of Denver not far from the hotel. The field trip visits the “CAP” project, where a 4-acre park was constructed over a lowered interstate-70 where it passes through an under-served community impacted by pollution. Expect some walking on mostly flat, paved roads of less than a mile in total. Snacks and water will be provided.