I-70 at Route 51 Interchange

Overnight Single Lane Closures to Begin August 12

Single-lane restrictions will be in place on I-70 overnight on Tuesday, August 12 through Friday, August 15 while crews perform barrier work and line painting. Work is scheduled from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. between Exit 44 (Arnold City) and Exit 49 (Smithton) in both directions.

Changing Traffic Restrictions Took Effect July 15

Beginning Tuesday, July 15, 2025, traffic will shift onto the newly constructed Route 51 northbound (NB) bridge, marking a major milestone in the ongoing Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) project.

Traffic will be introduced to the Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) configuration in a single-lane in each direction. Traffic on Route 51 will be placed onto the outside lanes and controlled by temporary traffic signals. Traffic on Route 51 will be placed in the following configuration:

• Traffic on Route 51 will cross over to the opposite or left side of the roadway within the interchange area to access I-70 on-ramps more directly.
• The left-turn movements from Route 51 to the I-70 on-ramps will occur from the left side of the roadway.
• The left turn movements from I-70 exit ramps to Route 51 do not need to cross opposing travel lanes to gain access to the desired lanes of Route 51.

This shift will introduce the final DDI movements with single-lane traffic in each direction across the two new bridges carrying Route 51 over I-70. Outside lanes in both directions will be open to traffic, while inside lanes will be closed. Temporary traffic signals will remain in place during this phase to manage traffic flow and ensure safety.

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See work zone mapping here. Tips for your safety and the safety of highway workers can be found here.

2025 Construction Overview

In 2025, construction will be focused on completing the reconstruction of eastbound and westbound I-70, construction of the northbound Route 51 bridge over I-70 and the Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI), and reconstruction of southbound Route 51.

Planned construction phasing includes:

I-70 Mainline
In April, westbound traffic was shifted onto temporary widening while the lanes and medians are reconstructed.

In July, westbound traffic will remain on temporary widening and eastbound traffic will be shifted onto newly-constructed westbound lanes while the new eastbound lanes, on/off ramp acceleration/deceleration lanes, and median are reconstructed.

The mainline construction is expected to be complete in 2025.

Route 51 Diverging Diamond Interchange
Construction will include the completion of the new northbound Route 51 bridge over I-70. 2025 construction will also include all ramps within the DDI pattern, and opening of the DDI, including permanent signals and a single lane of traffic in each direction on Route 51 using new bridges.

Route 51 Corridor
Route 51 southbound will be fully reconstructed in addition to left-turn standby lanes at intersections. Signals will remain at Route 981/ Relocated Finley Rd. and Concord Ln. Temporary signals along the corridor will be replaced with permanent ones this winter.

See work zone mapping here. Tips for your safety and the safety of highway workers can be found here.

Construction at the I-70/Route 51 Interchange began in late 2022 and is expected to continue through 2026. Track construction progress with updated construction photos.