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Silt to fix, extend eastbound on-ramp to Interstate 70

El tráfico ingresa a la rampa de entrada en dirección este a la Interestatal 70 en Silt el miércoles por la mañana.
Ray K. Erku/Post Independent

Anyone who has ever tried entering Interstate 70 eastbound from Silt knows one thing: It’s a sketchy task.

This is why Silt officials were elated to recently announce that they have just received a nearly $1.07 million grant to fix and extend the eastbound on-ramp. The grant is through the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration.

It is a federal award of 90%, matched by the state at 10%. Silt will have no financial obligation but will be involved in project discussions and input.



Silt Public Works Director Trey Fonner said the on-ramp fit the criteria for receiving the grant, which is based on a threshold of crash data.

“I believe it’s the number of accidents in the area and on that ramp itself,” Fonner said on Tuesday, because the paperwork the town filled out was very minimal.”



Built in the late 1970s and not updated ever since, the interchange is said to be too short and, prone to large potholes, needs major fixes. Fonner said the ramp will be extended to meet standards so “it’s not quite the slingshot it is now to get onto I-70.”

Many Silt residents have expressed concerns about this on ramp over the years as being too short to get up to speed to enter traffic and continually poor state due to standing water and freeze/thaw conditions, a Silt news release states. Fonner convinced the state to take a look and they agreed that it might be eligible for funding from Colorado’s Highway Safety Improvement Program. Fonner submitted a formal application in 2022.

“It’ll be great for the town and commuters to actually get an on-ramp that is long enough, instead of people using the warp-speed button to get on the interstate,” he said.

Since the budget year for the grant doesn’t begin until July 1, 2025, Fonner said only design and engineering of the project will likely start over the next six months. Actual construction, however, is projected to occur after the budget year kicks in during the summer of 2025.

Fonner said strategies for redirecting traffic when construction starts will likely be analyzed during the planning phases of the project.  

“This is great to see more work getting done on that interchange,” Fonner said.

Post Independent western Garfield County reporter and Assistant Editor Ray K. Erku can be reached at 612-423-5273 or rerku@postindependent.com


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