Drivers beware: A major entrance ramp onto Interstate 25 will be permanently closed as the Denver Office of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) works on a nearby replacement. 

The southbound I-25 entrance ramp from Broadway at Kentucky Avenue was permanently closed by the department on Monday, according to a press release, creating a long-term detour for those who use Broadway to reach the interstate. 

The new elevated ramp to southbound I-25, which will act as a replacement for the closing ramp, will be located at Ohio Avenue and is set to be finished at the end of the year.

The new ramp “will ease vehicle congestion and enhance safety,” the department said, noting that the work is part of the I-25 and Broadway Travel and Safety Improvement Project, which officially began in the summer of 2023.

While the entrance ramp is now closed, drivers can access southbound I-25 at Mississippi Avenue and South Buchtel Boulevard or Alameda Avenue and Kalamath Street.

The ramp-centric delays aren’t the only traffic changes striking the region of the safety improvement project, though. As of Monday, southbound Broadway traffic shifted slightly to the west, prohibiting a left turn from Broadway onto eastbound Ohio Avenue, the department said.

Drivers going southbound on Broadway can access northbound I-25 by taking Mississippi Avenue or Alameda Avenue to Santa Fe Drive Drivers headed northbound on Broadway will still be able to turn right onto Ohio Avenue to access the northbound I-25 on-ramp.

The changes are part of the aforementioned project which is set to continue through spring 2026. 

Some improvements to the area include:

• Multi-use pathways for pedestrians and cyclists
• Connecting the Broadway bike lane to the RTD Broadway station
• New traffic signals at Ohio Avenue between Broadway and Lincoln Street and at Broadway and Kentucky Avenue
• Reconstruction of local streets
• Reconstruction of Kentucky Avenue, combining the existing intersection with the southbound I-25 off-ramp

“The improvements are designed to make travel safer for all and improve access to RTD’s Broadway Station for people who walk, roll, bike and drive,” DOTI said in a news release.