Washington, D.C. - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today announced that the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will receive $15 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to expand and improve I-25 between Fort Collins and Loveland. The grant will be used as part of a $237 million project that will include the construction of one Tolled Express Lane in each direction on I-25 for 14 miles, from State Highway 14 to State Highway 402. The improvements will provide much needed capacity and help ease congestion in the corridor. The project also includes transit, pedestrian, and cycle improvements that will connect Northern Colorado to the Denver metro region.

Expanding North I-25 has been one of Bennet's top priorities. For several years, Bennet has worked with local leaders, including the I-25 coalition, the Fix North I-25 Business Alliance, the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization, and local elected officials, to bring focus and attention to the corridor's congestion. Earlier this year, Bennet wrote a letter, signed by the Colorado congressional delegation, in support of CDOT's TIGER grant application, and personally called Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx about the project.

"Congestion on the North I-25 corridor is stifling economic growth and affecting people's quality of life," Bennet said. "These communities have been working together for years to find the resources to expand I-25. While this funding is a critical first step, we need to continue working to ensure that CDOT and local governments have the resources they need to finish the job."

"The communities of Northern Colorado came together in an unprecedented way to make this a reality," said Shailen Bhatt, Executive Director of CDOT. "With this TIGER money, CDOT can complete the funding for improvements to this segment of the North I-25 corridor, a vital part of our state's economic development."

"North I-25 is such an important corridor, and this project is crucial to the economic wellbeing of Northern Colorado," said Kathy Gilliland, District 5 Commissioner for CDOT. "We are so appreciative of this grant that gives us funds to finally get this effort moving forward and get some relief."

The funding was awarded through the Department of Transportation's highly competitive Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grant Program, which provides funding for investments in road, rail, transit and port projects that have a significant impact on the nation, regions, or metropolitan areas. The grant program was renewed last year when Congress passed the FAST Act, a five-year highway and transit funding bill supported by Senator Bennet.

Significant population growth along the North I-25 corridor in recent years has led to congestion and travel delays. CDOT forecasts that this population growth will increase the number of vehicles making daily trips along the I-25 corridor by 60 percent in 2040. By some estimates, the congestion has cost Northern Colorado businesses $56 million in lost revenue and created major delays for commuters along the Front Range.