Federal Boulevard, one of Denver’s busiest north-south arteries, is headed for a sweeping rebuild that could change how thousands of people move every day. The Colorado Department of Transportation is pressing ahead with a roughly $318 million overhaul that would layer bus rapid transit onto the corridor, lower posted speeds, and add safety features along an 18-mile stretch.
The current concept keeps two general-purpose vehicle lanes in each direction while adding raised boarding platforms, medians, landscaping, and, in many places, wider sidewalks. State officials say the goal is to move buses more reliably, cut down on crashes, and give people walking and biking a better shot at crossing the street in one piece.
Preliminary designs cover the length from Dartmouth Avenue on the south end to 120th Avenue in the north and call for curbside bus lanes, protected left-turns, sharper interchange geometry, and upgraded pedestrian crossings, according to CDOT. The agency describes the effort as a corridor-scale redesign that preserves two lanes each way for cars while carving out space for transit and people on foot. Environmental review and early design are expected to wrap in early 2026, with final design and phased construction after that…