RTD’s Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project begins June 3 with temporary closure of Broadway and Welton Street intersection

On Monday, June 3, the Regional Transportation District (RTD) will begin work to replace 30-year-old segments of light rail track at five downtown Denver intersections. The first intersection to be fully reconstructed as part of the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project, the intersection of Broadway and Welton Street, will be closed to all vehicle traffic for 20 days. The closure will allow crews to remove depth up to two feet of the original rail infrastructure and do a full reconstruction. The intersection is expected to reopen on Sunday, June 23, in advance of Independence Day events downtown. Detours are planned in the area to support vehicles, and pedestrians will maintain full access.

Traffic Impacts and Detour Information

●A detour map is available online.

●The closure will start Monday, June 3, at the intersection of California and 20th streets. Traffic on Broadway coming into downtown from the north will turn right on California Street and left on 19th Street to get back to Broadway.

●California Street between Broadway and 21st Street will temporarily convert to a two-way street, with local access fully maintained.

●Some pedestrian access will be detoured during the 20-day closure.

The parking garage for the Holy Ghost church and the 1999 Broadway building will be accessible via 20th Street and Broadway.

●Work will continue with lane closures on 19th Street between Welton and California streets between June 23 and July 9.

Motorists are advised to pay attention to electronic and detour signage.

Train Service Impacts

●As part of the May 2024 Service Changes, all D and H line trains have been rerouted to Denver Union Station through mid-September.

●L Line service, which connects the 30th/Downing Station to the Downtown Loop, has been suspended.

●No light rail service will operate in RTD’s central corridor through mid-September 2024.

●RTD temporarily reintroduced the Free MetroRide to support access through Denver’s central business district. The Free MetroRide runs on 18th and 19th streets.

Through mid-September RTD’s project will be completed in four phases, focusing on improving tracks at five key intersections in the Downtown Loop: Broadway and Welton, 15th and Stout, 17th and Stout, 15th and California, and 17th and California. To minimize impacts to the public, construction will not happen simultaneously at all five intersections. Instead, RTD will conduct the work in stages with planned closures and detours.

Crews will remove all current rail infrastructure, including concrete, ties, ballast and other track material before rebuilding each section. This work is part of a full-depth reconstruction of the Downtown Loop segment of RTD’s original light rail track, which has been in place since service first began in October 1994.

Replacing the rail is necessary to improve safety and mobility, address deteriorating transit infrastructure and extend the life of a crucial piece of Denver’s public transportation system.

For more information about the project, and to stay ahead of service impacts, visit RTD’s rail project webpage. The public is also encouraged to use RTD’s Next Ride app to plan trips, view active Service Alerts and see bus and train locations in real time.