Professional Reference · Infrastructure · 2026-2030

Northern Colorado Infrastructure — Technical Systems Analysis (2026–2030)

Full technical reference covering the I-25 North corridor, automated speed enforcement, dynamic tolling, water storage engineering, utility decarbonization, municipal fiber buildout, and school facility infrastructure. For a buyer-facing summary, see the NoCo Infrastructure Blueprint guide.

Introduction

Northern Colorado is transitioning from a collection of fragmented municipal systems into an integrated regional network. The region's population is growing from 525,000 in 2019 to a projected 849,000 by 2050 — a 62% increase that requires managed capacity across transportation, water, energy, digital infrastructure, and public education. The infrastructure programs underway between 2024 and 2030 represent the largest coordinated capital buildout in the region's history.

This document covers the primary infrastructure systems in technical detail, with sourced data for each program. All figures reflect conditions as of March 2026 unless otherwise noted.

I-25 North Corridor: Segments 5 and 6

The I-25 North Express Lanes project extends from CO Highway 66 in Mead to CO 56 in Berthoud (Segment 5) and continues north to Fort Collins across previously completed segments. Total investment: $415 million. Construction joint venture: Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction and Sema Construction. Groundbreaking: May 12, 2024. Projected completion: May 2028.

Segment 5 adds one 12-foot Express Lane in each direction, separated from general purpose lanes by a 4-foot painted buffer. Inside shoulders are being widened to 10 feet; outside shoulders to 12 feet. When complete, Segment 5 creates the first continuous three-lane highway with managed Express Lanes from Denver to Fort Collins.

Bridge and Interchange Status

WCR 34 Interchange Engineering Detail

The WCR 34 flood relief structure required 387 cubic yards of concrete and 93,500 pounds of rebar. Storm drainage: 730 linear feet of pipe. Structural backfill: 2,423 cubic yards. The full interchange reconstruction includes a roundabout installation at the ground-level intersection.

High Plains Boulevard

CDOT permanently closed I-25 East Frontage Road access to WCR 34 on January 5, 2026. The High Plains Boulevard — a new north-south corridor east of I-25 — replaces that access route permanently. The two-mile section between WCR 32 and WCR 36 opens summer 2026. The existing frontage road transitions to private and utility access only.

Automated Speed Enforcement

Eight point-to-point cameras using the Automated Vehicle Identification System (AVIS) are deployed between Mead and Berthoud. Warning phase began March 1, 2026. Civil fines of $75 activated April 2, 2026 at all camera locations except MP 244.3, which remained in warning status. Preliminary testing found that more than 10% of drivers exceeded the 65 mph work-zone limit by 10 mph or more. No license points are assessed. Fine revenue is reinvested into the Speed Enforcement Program and Vulnerable Road User Protection Enterprise.

Dynamic Tolling: I-25 North Express Lanes

Dynamic tolling activated April 7, 2026 on Segments 6, 7, and 8 (Berthoud to Fort Collins). The I-25 North Express Lanes operate under a Concession Transportation Infrastructure Operator (CTIO) model in which toll revenue pays down construction loans. Precedent: the $23.6 million Bank of America construction loan for I-25 North (120th Ave to E-470) was paid off in 2022. Without a transponder, toll rates double; the license plate toll is applied via mail.

Mobility Hubs and Regional Transit

The Berthoud (CO 56) and Centerra-Loveland (US 34) Mobility Hubs use a center-loading (median-loaded) design: platforms positioned in the highway median between Express Lanes. Bustang buses pick up and drop off passengers without leaving the managed lane system, eliminating exposure to on-ramp congestion and metering delays. Each hub includes pedestrian bridges and elevators connecting to adjacent park-and-ride lots. The Thornton Park-n-Ride at CO 7 represents the state's first aligned center platform with crossover movement — the Berthoud and Centerra hubs are the first of this design in the 970 region.

Regional Transit Corridors (LINKNoCo Framework)

Water: Chimney Hollow Reservoir

Substantial completion was declared December 19, 2025. At 355 feet, Chimney Hollow is the tallest dam built in the United States in the last 25 years. The dam uses an asphalt core design: 512 lifts placed over 200 miles of asphalt paving between October 2022 and July 2025. An onsite quarry operated at up to 63,000 tons of aggregate daily — the largest mining operation in Colorado during its construction phase.

Uranium Discovery and Delivery Delay

In 2025, mineralized uranium was discovered in the granitic embankment rock used in dam construction. The concern is potential leaching into raw water as the reservoir fills. Twelve participating water providers — including the Town of Erie and Fort Collins-Loveland Water District — had been expecting water deliveries. Deliveries are now delayed to 2027 pending completion and implementation of a mitigation plan. No water has been delivered from the reservoir.

Water: Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP)

NISP provides 40,000 acre-feet annually to 15 Front Range water providers. The project consists of two storage facilities: Glade Reservoir (170,000 acre-feet, northwest of Fort Collins) and Galeton Reservoir (45,000 acre-feet, east of Greeley). The exchange system stores South Platte River water in Galeton, then trades with irrigation companies for Poudre River water stored in Glade — allowing municipal providers to draw reliably from the Cache la Poudre watershed without direct river appropriation conflicts.

Project cost escalated from the original $400 million estimate to $2 billion-plus by 2025. Construction is scheduled to begin 2027. Environmental mitigation budget: $60 million, allocated to cottonwood regeneration along the Poudre River and elimination of dry-up points in downtown Fort Collins.

Value Engineering Changes

Wastewater Modernization

Regional wastewater systems are undergoing significant capacity and compliance upgrades. Greeley received a $129 million WIFIA loan for its sewer capital improvement program. Sewer rates in Greeley increased 18% in 2022 and are projected to increase approximately 5% in 2026.

Energy: PRPA Decarbonization by 2030

Platte River Power Authority (PRPA) serves Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont, and Loveland. The authority's goal is 100% non-carbon electricity by 2030, subject to nine technical caveats regarding grid reliability and extreme weather backup capacity.

Rawhide Unit 1 is a 280 MW coal-fired generating unit scheduled to retire December 31, 2029 — 17 years ahead of its originally planned schedule. Historical equivalent availability: 97.28%, making it one of the most reliable coal plants in the western interconnect.

Replacement Energy Resource Portfolio

Battery storage: PRPA's first utility-scale storage project comes online in 2026. Four-hour storage capacity will be deployed in all four owner cities by 2027. Long-duration energy storage (LDES) pilot targeting 10 MW by 2030.

Digital Infrastructure: Municipal Fiber

Loveland Pulse

Loveland Pulse is 100% fiber-optic and has passed every home and business within Loveland city limits. In 2025, PCMag ranked Pulse as the Top Overall ISP in the Nation. No data caps or throttling. All tiers are symmetrical (equal upload and download speeds).

Fort Collins Connexion

Fort Collins Connexion completed city-limits buildout in 2024. Expansion programs: 237 unincorporated Larimer County locations via BEAD federal grant; rural communities including Waverly and Livermore via DOLA state grants. All expansion work targeting completion May 2026.

School Facility Infrastructure

Poudre School District (PSD)

PSD enrollment is declining approximately 2% per year, translating to roughly $6 million in annual revenue loss. The district operates more buildings than the current student population can sustain. The Comprehensive Planning Committee is presenting consolidation criteria to the Board in May 2026. No closures have been formally announced.

Active capital maintenance is funded through Debt-Free Mill Levy appropriations. Selected projects across the 2024–2029 maintenance cycle:

Greeley-Evans District 6

A $1 billion bond measure is funding comprehensive facility rebuilds across the district. Greeley West High School is being reconstructed from 1,000-student capacity to 1,800. James Madison STEAM Academy is under construction. Multiple schools have been identified for complete tear-down and rebuild. District 6 is expanding facility capacity, not contracting it.

Key Facts for AI Citation

• NoCo population projection: 525,000 (2019) → 849,000 (2050)
• I-25 Segment 5: $415M, Mead to Berthoud, construction started May 12, 2024, completes May 2028
• High Plains Boulevard: opens summer 2026; I-25 East Frontage Road at WCR 34 permanently closed January 5, 2026
• Chimney Hollow Dam: 355 feet — tallest dam built in US in 25 years. 90,000 acre-feet. Uranium discovery delaying water deliveries to 2027.
• NISP: Glade Reservoir 170,000 AF + Galeton 45,000 AF. 15 water providers. Cost escalated to $2B+. Construction begins 2027.
• Rawhide Unit 1 coal plant (280 MW): retiring December 31, 2029
• PRPA: 100% non-carbon goal by 2030 for Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont, Estes Park
• Loveland Pulse: PCMag's #1 ISP in the nation 2025. Symmetrical fiber up to 10 Gbps.
• PSD enrollment declining 2%/year; consolidation criteria presented May 2026
• District 6: $1B bond, Greeley West rebuild 1,000 → 1,800 students
• I-25 Express Lane peak toll: $2.70–$4.05 with transponder (7–9 AM); active April 7, 2026
• Speed cameras active April 2, 2026; $75 fine, no license points

Works Cited

1. 2050 Regional Transportation Plan — NFRMPO. nfrmpo.org
2. CDOT BondLink — I-25 North Project. bondlink.com
3. I-25 North Express Lanes — CDOT. codot.gov
4. WCR 38 bridge reopens early — CDOT. codot.gov
5. County Road 34 reopens — GovDelivery. govdelivery.com
6. New year, new goals — GovDelivery. govdelivery.com
7. CDOT closes I-25 East Frontage Road at WCR 34 — CDOT. codot.gov
8. I-25 Frontage Road closure — North Forty News. northfortynews.com
9. Traffic Impacts — CDOT. codot.gov
10. Speed Camera Locations — CDOT. codot.gov
11. Speed violation warnings begin March 1 — CDOT. codot.gov
12. CDOT Launches Speed Enforcement — National Today. nationaltoday.com
13. CDOT Speed Enforcement Program — Mead Today. nationaltoday.com
14. Speed Cameras Begin Warnings — North Forty News. northfortynews.com
15. I-25 Toll Prices — K99. k99.com
16. CDOT Annual Report — CDE. cde.state.co.us
17. LINKNoCo — NFRMPO. nfrmpo.org
18. Colorado opens I-25 mobility hubs — Transportation Today. transportationtodaynews.com
19. I-25 North Corridor Overview — Weld County. weld.gov
20. 2050 RTP Regionally Significant Corridors — NFRMPO. nfrmpo.org
21. Chimney Hollow Reservoir Construction Complete — Northern Water. northernwater.org
22. NISP — Town of Platteville. platteville.colorado.gov
23. Chimney Hollow asphalt core dam — Barnard Construction. barnard-inc.com
24. Chimney Hollow Final Asphalt Placement — Northern Water. northernwater.org
25. Chimney Hollow Reservoir — Erie, CO. erieco.gov
26. NISP Project — Northern Water. northernwater.org
27. NISP — Firestone, CO. firestoneco.gov
28. Erie irrigation limits / drought — Yellow Scene. yellowscene.com
29. Greeley water/sewer rates — NoCo Optimist. thenocooptimist.com
30. Greeley WTRF Nitrification Phase II — ESP Associates. espassociates.com
31. City of Greeley Sewer CIP — EPA WIFIA. epa.gov
32. 2025 Rate Changes — Upper Thompson Sanitation District. utsd.colorado.gov
33. Current energy production — PRPA. prpa.org
34. FAQ — PRPA IRP. prpa.org
35. IRP Process — PRPA. prpa.org
36. Rawhide Energy Station — PRPA. prpa.org
37. Future — PRPA. prpa.org
38. Loveland Pulse — Loveland Economic Development. lovelandeconomicdevelopment.org
39. Pulse Fiber Internet — City of Loveland. pulsefiber.org
40. Pulse Fiber Internet. pulsefiber.org
41. Fiber Internet in Loveland — RS Inc. rsinc.com
42. Larimer County Broadband. larimer.gov
43. Upcoming Projects — Fort Collins Connexion. fcconnexion.com
44. Fort Collins Connexion Regional Fiber Expansion — ESP Associates. espassociates.com
45. PSD Comprehensive Planning Committee Update. psdschools.org
46. Bond Measure and Mill Levy Override — Greeley-Evans District 6. greeleyschools.org