RTD will reroute some downtown rail lines and suspend others as part of a $152 million light rail reconstruction project, running from May through September.
The D and H lines will reroute to Union Station while RTD will suspend the L line. RTD said the reconstruction could also affect bus routes that run along 15th Street and 17th Street. With the suspensions and rerouted lines, no light rail lines will operate in the central corridor for five months starting in May.
RTD said it plans to restart the free MetroRide, a bus service down 18th and 19th Streets, to account for the disruptions.
"Maintaining RTD's assets and infrastructure is essential to preserving the region's previous investments in its mass transportation system," said Debra A. Johnson, RTD general manager and CEO, in a statement Wednesday. "Managing and maintaining assets in a state of good repair ensures the long-term integrity of the rail network for all individuals who entrust RTD to deliver them to their destinations."
The first phase of the project will reconstruct intersections at 15th and Stout Street, 17th and Stout Street, 15th and California Street, 17th and California Street, and Broadway and Welton Street. The construction will happen at different times from May through September and will likely reroute local traffic during portions of the project.
According to a presentation from RTD on the project, this October will mark 30 years of downtown's light rail service, which began on Oct. 7, 1994. The reconstruction will be the first major light rail upgrade since the lines opened.
Once the light rail lines reopen with normal operations in September, the project will pause through the end of 2024 and resume work in 2025.
